My Hero Academia: Black Ops (SYOC)
by Guillonoir
Summary: With the aftermath of Stain's influence, the heroes are finding themselves overwhelmed with a new onslaught of villains and crime. UA is opening its doors to a new kind of hero. Welcome the students of the Special Activities Department, or in other words, the newest secret agents in training. - "We do not deal with moral means, we deal with moral ends."
1. A Modest Proposal

**My Hero Academia: Black Ops**

 _We do not deal with moral means_

 _We deal with moral ends_

* * *

 **Prologue: A Modest Proposal**

 _March 27th, XXXX_

Madame Rouge knew grace. She lived it, she breathed it, and she painted pretty pictures with each calculated gesture. Years of strict schooling and etiquette had been carved into her very bones and she wore her elegance like a polished diamond at her throat. Moderation, she learned, was the key to success. Sit with a strict ramrod posture yet be effortless and relaxed. Laugh with your eyes but never too freely. Whisper pretty and distracting words yet never give away your secrets. Have the attractiveness of confidence but never the recklessness of arrogance. Be demure when needed but never bow to anyone. It was a fine-tuned balancing act, but oh did she know how to play the game. She had survived thus far, at least.

The crimson-haired woman waited patiently as teachers slowly began to trickle into the conference room. The heroes would send them curious and questioning looks, but none approached, assuming that Principal Nezu would explain. During the mundane proceedings, she couldn't help notice how different she and her comrades were from the pro-heroes. To put it simply, they were loud. Their costumes were eye-catching and bright, they had a sort of boisterous camaraderie even as they egged each other on, and she could practically feel their passionate energy from across the room. This was in contrast to her companions who hadn't said a word since they arrived, save for Ace's snarky commentary on the heroes to Black Echo who sat beside him. The six of them were dressed smartly as if attending a business meeting and to even the trained eye, they seemed like completely normal citizens. They wouldn't notice the fifteen weapons Ace had hidden on his person or the way Black Echo really couldn't see underneath the black blindfold obscuring his eyes despite his coordinated movements.

At the end of the table was Aura. While others may not have noticed, the nervous twitch in the corner of his mouth told her that he was really trying hard not to grimace due to the amount of stimuli in the room. The poor man was never one for crowds and preferred to hide in his lab. It didn't help that the pro-heroes were like bright firecrackers to his senses.

Despite their differing personalities, what with Ace's spirit and Black Echo's withdrawn politeness, the two were practically glued at the hip. Delphi sat to her right and the young woman was as stony and expressionless as ever. Her former student was an icy vision with her snowy-white hair and had a youthful beauty that Rouge was begrudgingly envious of, but the girl had the emotional range of a rock. Lastly, to her left sat Akira Arata, their appointed lead. Despite working alongside him for many years during their field days, he was still as enigmatic and eccentric to her as the first day they met. Ever since they settled down, the brunette man sat with his fingers laced in front of him, his eyes closed, and a pleasant smile on his face. He hadn't acknowledged anybody the entire time, not even his department members. After knowing him for this long, she knew not to think too much about it. The man liked his dramatics after all. She refrained from rolling her eyes at the thought.

 _'10:32. We're already behind schedule,'_ she thought to herself wryly. She remembered being late to her first lesson as a little girl after getting lost. She had to clean all of the older students' weapons by herself, and while it certainly wasn't the last time she gagged on the overwhelming smell of blood, she made sure she was never late to another meeting again. Oh how she itched to give that principal a piece of her mind.

A few minutes later once all of the staff from the hero division were seated, the small furry man finally made his appearance and took his seat at the center of the hero panel. It was only then that Akira opened his slitted serpentine eyes and scanned the room with hungry interest.

Nezu cleared his throat as the room settled down. "Now you're probably wondering why I've gathered you all here so soon after the students were dismissed for break. As you all know, we've had a huge surge in criminal activity in recent years, and these aren't just petty crimes. We've seen a steep increase in pro-villains and underground activity just in the past year. We are not churning out heroes fast enough to handle these rising issues. If this continues, we will soon be outnumbered and overpowered." A few murmurs broke out across the room, yet none looked surprised. The conflict was years in the making.

"I agree," Ectoplasm stated darkly, "the aftermath of the Stain incident a couple years ago has definitely made a lasting impression among the villain community."

"And what exactly are you proposing, Nezu?" Aizawa drawled from his seat, always the one to cut to the chase.

Principal Nezu turned to Akira. On cue, the brunette man stood, smoothing down the front of his pinstripe suit as he did so. All eyes were immediately on him as he drew to his full height. Madame Rouge had to admit, the man had charisma and knew how to command a room with his presence alone.

"Good morning heroes and teachers of UA. My name is Akira Arata and beside me are my colleagues Aura, Black Echo, Ace, Madame Rouge, and Delphi. Our organization has had our eye on this particular villain issue for quite some time now, and we simply cannot allow it to go on. Principal Nezu is correct. If this continues, we run the risk of corruption and illegal dealings as crime syndicates start to form, villains overrunning cities, and smaller towns falling prey to criminals escaping the protected urban areas. However, it seems that we are in great need of more power and numbers on our side."

"You and your friends aren't heroes," Aizawa noted off-handedly with a tilt of his head. "What organization are you from?"

Akira turned his gaze to the hero and smiled. "We are with the Agency. More specifically, we are members of the Special Activities Division."

"Government spies then," the hero scoffed.

"We're not just spies, Bedhead, and you work for the government too!" Ace shot off hotly, ignoring the hand Black Echo placed on his shoulder. "You wouldn't last a day."

"Ace, play nice," Akira admonished, lightly scolding the younger man before getting back to business. "It's true that heroes and agents are vastly different, but there is value in both and we fight for the same cause. What we're proposing is opening another department at this school."

"For agents I presume?"

"Why not simply expand the Hero Department?" Midnight interjected. "UA is not in need of students wanting to become heroes. There are many more than capable candidates in the General Studies division looking to get into our department."

"Perhaps," Akira mused politely, "I personally don't find fault with that solution as long as standards aren't being sacrificed in the process. Being a hero is not an easy profession and can be exceptionally dangerous after all. However, we proposed this idea with a sort of… _upstream_ approach in mind, if you will."

"Arata, if you will explain please," Nezu prompted.

"Of course. Let's say you're standing at a river and suddenly you see a drowning child floating downstream. Of course, a hero would go out and save the child. However, as soon as you bring the child to shore, you notice more and more children floating down the river. You could continue to save the children as they come, but that doesn't stop the problem. Normally, you would go upstream to figure out the cause and stop it. However in our circumstances, there aren't enough heroes to stop the problem as it is, let alone investigate it. The greater good cannot only rely on heroes. While the heroes save the day, it's our jobs as agents to investigate and stop the problem at its source. That is where our strong suits lie. Villains are getting stronger and they don't play by the rules. They play dirty. Heroes won't stoop to their level, but we will. It is our job to and that's what sets us apart the most. By making a department dedicated to training agents, the number of agents to smoke out the source of crime increases."

"It's intriguing but it's a rather ambitious project." Ectoplasm commented. "How many students will you be accepting?"

Akira gave him a side glance, already knowing what the next reaction will be. "Six."

"Six!" Midnight gasped, slamming her palms on the table. "How is _that_ supposed to help us?"

"Statistically, only one in fifty students will complete the agent training program and continue on to be agents. These are not good odds for our prospective class. Our applicants are through invite only, specially handpicked by experienced agents so I have faith in the quality of our examinees. However, due to the secretive nature of our department, we cannot accept a larger group as of now. Most children grow up idolizing heroes and their morals, but heroes and agents are vastly different. Very few with hero ideologies have what it takes to make it through our program regardless of physical skill. As more students leave our program, there is a bigger risk of villains learning the identities of our future agents. We're not a public profession like heroes and with good reason. We deal more with organized crime rather than big-shot villains and that puts those we care about in danger. Because of this, the purpose of our department must remain a secret to only a select few. Even our examinees won't know until after we have determined our prospective entrants.

"However, this is our starting class. We may choose to expand as our program becomes more developed, but at the moment, we are shooting for quality over quantity. Like being a hero, being an agent is a dangerous profession and we strive to ensure the survival of our students. I will also take the time to warn you now, the ideals that we teach may differ drastically from what all of you are teaching in your classes. You may find that you don't agree with our methods, but I can assure you, everything that we teach and the lessons that we impart are necessary for the survival of our students. I acknowledge that you do not know us and that we will certainly have different opinions and ideologies, but we need to work together to teach the next generation and secure a better future."

"I have no qualms about opening a new department. What's there to lose?" Snipe finally spoke after being so silent during the meeting. The other heroes seemed to be mulling over all this information as well. "Nezu, what do you think? You seem to have worked extensively with them to develop this."

"Indeed I have," the principal confirmed. "I have already reviewed their curriculum as well as their entrance exam. Everything they have said is true. It is a difficult program and their methods are entirely unconventional, especially from my perspective as a hero, but I cannot deny that great good can come of this." He turned, meeting Akira's eyes. "We will instate the Special Activities Department and I will continue to monitor its growth."

"That's very generous of you, Principal Nezu. Thank you for this opportunity."

Nezu nodded appreciatively. "If that is all, I look forward to working with you and the Special Activities Department."

After Nezu dismissed the meeting and the new department exchanged pleasantries with some of the more curious and friendly heroes, the agents stayed behind to have a moment of privacy.

Once the last person filed out, Ace let out a loud groan and stretched his stiff muscles. He always did hate meetings. "Man, those heroes sure are an arrogant bunch. Did you hear that Midnight girl? Pshh, as if expanding the Hero Department would solve all their problems. Imagine what kind of hell they'd be going through if it weren't for us dealing with Yokohama."

"We don't speak of Yokohama in public places, Ace," Madame Rouge reminded as she checked her lipstick in her compact mirror.

"You also shouldn't go picking fights you can't win," Delphi drawled. "You wouldn't stand a chance against the Hero Department."

"What?" he challenged hotly, ""you don't think I can take them just because I don't have a quirk?"

"It certainly is a big disadvantage but you're too reckless with your emotions. It'll get you killed one day."

"And you feel absolutely nothing you-"

"Ace," Black Echo murmured softly, tugging the blonde man back to his side by his jacket sleeve. "You should know by now this is how she gets her entertainment."

"Tch, she's the one who shouldn't pick fights that she can't win," he grumbled but didn't pull away from the blindfolded man.

"It's not my fault you're incredibly transparent," the girl was quick to comment.

"And here I thought I taught you both to have better manners," Rouge mused, snapping her compact shut and shooting a steely look at the two youngest agents, "or do you need another lesson in etiquette?"

"No, ma'am," the duo quickly replied. The school year hadn't even started and they already felt bad for what the new students will have to endure with her. Madame Rouge was practically a legend within their agency, but her lessons were just as terrifying as her skills on the field.

"Anyway," Ace hastily redirected, re-adjusting his black-framed glasses as he glanced at Akira. "I don't get why you were so forward with them. It would have been easier to smooth-talk our way in and sugar-coat our program. They'll definitely be keeping an eye on us now and that's the opposite of what we want as agents. I thought we were trying to go for subtle."

Akira shrugged nonchalantly, the infuriatingly easy-going smile had yet to be wiped off his face. "I know you've been taught to lie ever since you began your training all those years ago, but a little honesty can be refreshing. Honesty builds trust and that is exactly what we need if we are to continue working with UA. Besides, lying would have involved long-term trickery, and while deception is our specialty... we all know that nothing lasts forever in our profession." Ace stiffened as Akira's eyes lazily raked over the blind man the youth was leaning against before pinning the blonde with a slitted stare. Faltering to hold his gaze, Ace frowned and his stubborn glare dropped to the floor. Needless to say, the point had been made. "I'm sure this will be a good learning experience for you. It'll be interesting getting to work with heroes without pretenses, don't you think? You don't get that too often in our field."

"Tch, we'd be doing them a favor," Ace muttered dryly, trying to dispel the tension in the air for Black Echo's sake. "Heroes play by the rules. Villais break them. Agents find a way around them."

"Who's the arrogant one now?" Delphi deadpanned.

"You wanna go you freaking albino?"

Aura pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. "Can you both just shut up? God, you two are going to be worse than the brats we'll have to deal with." He hadn't contributed much to the conversation, but he felt like he had the worst hangover after being in the room with so many rambunctious people. His noisy team wasn't necessarily helping either. All he wanted to do right now was pop some Advil and sleep off the killer migraine he was having, so the sooner they could wrap it up the better. "So what's next on our agenda, boss?"

"Now," Akira started, pulling out a stack of cream envelopes from the inside of his suit jacket, "we send out the invitations."

* * *

 **A/N:** Ugh that was such an information dump of an introduction, but what a ride. So if you're here, I hope you're interested in participating!

 **I also have a submission counter on my profile to reference what I still need for characters!**

 **Notes for your benefit: It's long, but please read as these are very important.**

1\. The Special Activities Department contains one class, that being class 1-L.

2\. For main characters I'll be taking 6 freshmen students and 2 older trainees between the ages of 15-18 who will act as teacher assistants (TAs). While I worked a reason why they have a small class into the story, it's primarily so I can focus on developing their characters and give everyone more screen time.

3\. For secondary characters, I will also take a few characters for 1-A (or the heroes). They probably won't show up until later or have as much screen time, but they will be involved in the major plot and conflict, show up periodically during the school year, and be at events. If an OC doesn't get into the main 1-L class, I might ask to move them to 1-A.

4\. Though I may not accept an OC as the main or secondary cast, there may still be appearances of submitted OCs as background characters at the entrance exam or from classes 1-A through 1-K at events like the Sports Festival.

5\. The two TAs will be agents in training who started private individualized training before the implementation of this program. Preferably, I want one boy and one girl.

6\. I will be choosing OCs based on story potential, not how strong they are so please no overpowered OCs.

7\. This class also accepts quirkless individuals with potential. Two of the instructors are quirkless as well.

8\. You can send in more than one OC, but since I'm taking a small cast, I may not accept all of them.

9\. It's a tough program. Your OC will be used, abused, and dragged through the mud, and that's completely okay. Not everyone was made to excel in the program and that just means there's room for character growth and development. This isn't hero bashing either so don't be afraid to submit a character with hero ideologies.

10\. I'm only accepting characters through PM no exceptions. Please title your PM "SYOC: Character name"

11\. If you're submitting a character and they get accepted, I'd like for the submitters to stay active and review every now and then. It might sound a little conceited, but I like to get feedback especially when I'm using other people's characters and I'd like to include people who are interested in the story.

12\. This is not a first come first serve. I'll be keeping submissions open until I've selected the characters that I want. I'm also pretty busy, so I apologize in advance if I don't get to your questions right away.

 **More about classes:**

 **Stealth and Espionage:** Taught by Madame Rouge. Deals with the art of spying, infiltration, deception, information gathering, and disguise.

 **Combat:** Taught by Ace. Deals with the physical necessities of the field such as hand-to-hand combat, weapons and gadgets, aim, and using quirks.

 **Investigation:** Taught by Aura. Deals with the synthesis of data, unearthing of clues, analysis of evidence, building criminal profiles, and deductions.

 **Strategy:** Taught by Akira Arata. Deals with teamwork, pre-mission planning and strategy, post-mission debrief, and honing cleverness and resourcefulness.

 **Interrogation:** Taught by Black Echo. Deals with the coercion of information from suspects and criminals, torture, and withstanding tortured.

 **Personal Psychology:** Taught by Delphi. Deals with mental and emotional stability, PTSD, secret keeping, and loyalty.

* * *

The form can be found on my profile along with the notes!

 **So questions for you guys...**

1\. What do you think about the concept of agents in this fandom?

2\. Which class sounds the most interesting to you?

3\. I'll be taking votes through reviews. Out of the six agents (Madame Rouge, Ace, Black Echo, Delphi, Aura, and Akira), who do you guys want as a homeroom teacher?


	2. Author's Note

**A/N:** Hey guys! Thank you for all of the support and submissions! I really appreciate it. I will be closing submissions on February 5th at 8PM central time. If anyone has questions or needs an extension, just PM me. I'm pretty flexible and I'll try to work something out within reason. Just a reminder, there's a submission counter on my profile to show what my needs are. I'm really excited to start this story and I already have a general plot planned out including the entrance exam, the sports festival, and main conflict and so many new training ideas for this class that I'm not sure if I can do them all. Thanks again and keep the submissions coming!

So question for all of you, I have a few ideas on the table for the sports festival events, but what would you suggest or like to see regarding the first two events?


	3. The Overture

**A/N: There will be some mentions of submitted characters that didn't make the final list but I wanted to include them in the exam. TL;DR, the final list is posted at the end.**

* * *

 **My Hero Academia: Black OPs**

 _The stage is set, the players positioned, and the blood-red curtain rises_

* * *

 **The Overture: The First Movement**

Hands buried deep in the pockets of his slacks, Naoya stood at the gates of UA. He wore a blank expression as he tried to pinpoint what exactly he was feeling. If he had to be honest, he didn't think he'd be back here again, not after failing the hero exam and certainly not by invitation. Said invite was tucked safely in his pocket and it seemed to burn against his leg. He couldn't fathom why UA would seek him out again, especially after he denied their pity offer to enroll in their general studies program. The letter itself was extremely vague. Something about a new department and that he was one out of the thirty individuals to have been invited to participate in the entrance exam. He should be flattered really, but he didn't allow himself to get too comfortable. Thirty participants in the entrance exam was less than those who participated in UA's hero entrance exam. The program was too selective to risk inviting someone who would potentially turn down the offer, not if they're looking for an average class of twenty at least, and he had turned down one of their offers already.

' _There has to be a catch to all of this.'_

With that thought in mind, he plastered on an easy smile and he stepped through the gates. Having already been through one UA entrance exam, it wasn't hard to find the lecture hall everyone was congregated in. He was instantly aware of the atmosphere, or rather, how different it was from the first time he stepped in the room. With the prospective her students, it was rowdy and loud with rivalries and friendships being established. Now, he could tell everyone was sizing each other up with a critical eye. To be fair, he was doing the same thing as he scanned the room nonchalantly, but at least he was trying to be less obvious about it. With the hypervigilant atmosphere, he wondered what kind of people they were recruiting.

' _Twenty-five people in the room, 15 girls, 10 boys, five mutation quirks. No teachers yet. Four exit doors and no windows.'_

Scanning the lot, he picked the student who seemed the most easy to charm. He settled down next to a visibly nervous and unsuspecting ravenette and smiled amiably, evoking a telling blush on her face. He had an attractive bone structure, he knew objectively, and his albinism certainly made him unique even among mutation quirks.

' _Too predictable.'_ He had to refrain from rolling his eyes at her blush. While she flustered, he took the time to study her. ' _Slim but lacks muscle tone, so not a combatant. Wears gloves indoors in March, an odd choice so either an eccentric fashion taste or quirk related. Probably the latter considering that she seems reasonably dressed otherwise.'_

Filing that thought away, he offered her his hand. "Hi, I'm Naoya," he introduced pleasantly, not giving any indication that he was aware of the red quickly staining her cheeks.

"H-Hana," she cleared her throat uncomfortably, "my name is Hana."

"It's nice to meet you Hana," he said in turn, "with the majority of people here already, I almost feel late. So are you from the area then or did you have to travel to get here?"

"I'm actually from Kusahama. It's a small coastal town about three hours north of here," she said with a shy but humorous smile, "you can say it's a bit of a commute for me."

"That far away? Well I hope you get what you came here for then. The invitation was so obscure, I'm not too sure what to expect honesty," he confessed.

"I'm not sure myself. I've never left my small town before, so I don't know how I could have caught such a prestigious school like UA's attention."

' _A shy and quiet girl sheltered away in some no-name town. I'm starting to wonder how you caught their attention as well.'_

"There must be something though," he mused with a encouraging smile, "they specially picked thirty of us out of the whole nation, right? There must be something special about you."

She started at his words and hesitated to answer, opting to wring her gloves hands nervously instead. "I-I guess… maybe it's my quirk? There really isn't anything else I can think of…"

 _Now we're getting somewhere._

"Oh?" he asked curiously, "what's your quirk?"

"I…" She swallowed nervously. "Whenever I touch somebody, my quirk sets off a chain reaction in them, triggering all their pain receptors," she replied slowly, holding up a gloved hand, "that's why I always wear gloves. I don't like hurting other people. It's an awful quirk. I don't know why a place like UA would be interested in me."

' _Why indeed,'_ he thought to himself, ' _she's certainly too timid to be hero material, and between both our quirks, it sounds like they are recruiting individuals with quirks that are darker in nature. What a conundrum.'_

 **\- / -**

 **Name: Hana Kawa**

 **Age: 14**

 **Quirk: Painful to the Touch**

 **Hana's quirk causes anyone she has skin to skin contact with to have excruciating pain by activating the pain receptors in their body. However, a drawback to this quirk is that she is unable to be selective with who she affects.**

 **\- / -**

"I hope you don't think badly of me now," she said, caving into herself once more, "most people try to avoid me when they find out. I understand if you'd want to too, especially since we'll be competing against each other."

Naoya gave her a reassuring smile. "There's really nothing to worry about. It'll take more than a quirk to scare me off."

There was that blush again and she ducked her head shyly. "Thank you, Naoya. You don't know how much that means to me. Truly." She finally faced him and gave him a beaming smile, the most confident he had seen from her thus far. "Let's give it our all then!"

Naoya laughed at her enthusiasm, though perhaps a bit sardonically. "Sure, I'm looking forward to seeing what they have in store for us."

Hana gave him a watery smile in return. "You know I was so nervous coming here alone. I feel so out of my depth around those who probably spent their entire lives preparing for this moment, but I'm glad I met you. It's helped my nerves a bit, knowing that I'm among friends and people who are also chasing after their goals."

' _Chasing after their goals, yes. Among friends…? Perhaps not.'_

' _After all, I will step on anyone to reach my goals.'_

His red eyes lazily scanned the room once more. All thirty of them were seated now. Most kept to themselves, but that nervous tension had yet to leave the air. He silently wondered what other dangerous quirks were hidden in the room, or perhaps more interestingly, what dangerous minds.

Six individuals entered from the front of the room, the instructors he presumed. On the stage stood a raven-haired man donning a black blindfold, trench coat, and gloves. Despite the blindfold, Naoya figured he was probably able to see considering how well he maneuvered himself and how he reacted to the people around him. Beside him was a blonde man wearing black framed glasses and a cocky smirk as he studied the group of potential students with predatory interest. To his left was a scarlet-haired woman with a dancer's build and posture. While definitely far from elderly, she was the oldest out of them. Perhaps late thirties, early forties. The other woman had skin and hair just as pale as his own and she wore a neutral expression, not even bothering to acknowledge the students before her. Had he not seen her walk across the stage, she could have passed for a marble statue. The man to her left was a tall and severe-looking man with slicked back dark hair that accentuated his sharp bone structure and icy grey eyes. Front and center at the podium stood a tall man with wavy brown hair and a permanent dimpled smile that was slightly too sharp to be considered entirely friendly. He might have looked normal, Naoya thought, if it weren't for the green scales that dusted his temples and hands and his piercing yellow eyes that were reminiscent of a snake's.

 **\- / -**

 **Name: Akira Arata**

 **Age: 52**

 **Position: Strategic specialist for the Special Activities Department**

 **Quirk: Serpentine**

 **This quirk allows him to freeze his adversaries with a single stare, produce venoms and paralytic substances that are delivered through a fanged bite, and shed his skin to retain a youthful appearance.**

 **\- / -**

"Good morning students," he started, his rich and smooth voice amplified through the room. While some might find his voice warm and inviting, Naoya couldn't help but liken it to a slithering snake. "My name is Akira Arata and I humbly welcome you to UA. As you know, we have invited thirty of you to participate in our entrance exam for UA's newest department, the Department of Special Activities. In an effort to avoid skewing the exam results, we will explain what exactly this department entails after the exam, but before we start, are there any questions?"

A hand rose and Naoya glanced over to see a pretty boy with wavy blonde hair and striking blue eyes. The frown that marred his face and the cold glint in his eyes were a sharp contrast to his androgynous and delicate features. "I have a question. UA's average class size consists of twenty students with its entrance exam averaging at a hundred examinees." His eyes narrowed as he looked down his nose at Akira. "So what? Are you rejecting less than half of the examinees then?"

The curve of Akira's lips didn't budge despite the boy's scrutiny. "A valid question Mr. Hanamiya Suzuno. The heroics department has both a written and practical exam. The written exam is made to narrow down the hundreds of applicants down to the top one hundred students. Based on the practical exam scores, the heroics department accepts the top twenty percent of those students. For our department, we have forgone the written exam and instead hand selected thirty applicants that we believe would be a good fit for our program. Now, out of the thirty of you, only twenty percent will be accepted into the program."

Naoya was genuinely surprised at that. The Special Activities Department was proving to be more of a mystery the more information he received.

"But that means only six of us will be accepted!" a boy with pitch-black skin shouted from the back.

"That is correct. Just because there are less examinees doesn't mean that this program is any less competitive. All of you will have to work for it." Naoya could feel that raw tension in the air again, Akira's words spurring on a sense of wariness and competitiveness among the students around him. "If that is all, I will continue on with the entrance exam debriefing.

"The exam will be broken into two parts to test different areas of your skills. For the first test, we will be relocating to Ground Beta and you will be split into teams of three. In just a few minutes, you will receive a message on your phones with the name of your new teammates. Each team will be given one of these." Akira held up a chicken egg with the number one imprinted on it. "There's nothing special about these eggs. They are just as breakable as any. Each team will start off with one egg. The more eggs you steal from other teams, the more points you get. If your original egg is broken, you lose half of your total end points."

Naoya suddenly felt his phone vibrate in his pocket and he pulled it out to check the incoming message with everyone else in the room following suit.

 _Etsuko Yumiko and Yamanaka Ren_

"With that, we will be taking a short thirty minute break to allow you to meet your teammates and move to Ground Beta. We will go over further details there. You are dismissed."

The students immediately dispersed in search of their teammates. Naoya himself was about to stand when Hana tugged at his sleeve.

"It looks like we're on different teams," she commented quietly with a small smile. "I wish you the best of luck!"

"I hope you don't hold back. I wouldn't expect anything less from a competitor."

"And a friend," she added.

He gave her a slow smile. "Of course."

Satisfied with his response, Hana waved goodbye and left in search of her teammates. Naoya was about to go off in search of his team when someone shouted his name. A redhead girl from across the room standing next to the boy with the inky-black skin from earlier was obnoxiously shouting his name, garnering a few frowns from the passing students. Now he really needed to refrain from rolling his eyes.

' _Great.'_

He plastered on a smile and waved, getting their attention, and walked over. "Yumiko and Ren I presume?"

"No shit, Sherlock," Yumiko retorted smartly. "Now that we're all here, I'm letting you all know that I'm taking charge. Here's the plan. I will carry our egg and we…"

Naoya felt his smile twitch. "Why the rush? Let's move to a more private place. We wouldn't want you giving away our plan to the competition just yet." It was then Yumiko noticed the several sets of eyes on them that casually looked away after being noticed. Frowning, she motioned the two boys to follow her.

After relocating to a bench out in the quiet courtyard, Yumiko started again. "So, it's pretty simple. I will carry the egg and we will pummel as many teams as possible to steal their eggs."

Naoya's smile was still plastered to his face, albeit strenuously. "No."

Yumiko frowned and crossed her arms. "Excuse me, albino boy? No?"

"No, you're not carrying the egg because the twelve competitors that overheard our conversation now expect you to have the egg."

"I can't carry the egg," Ren chipped in, "I can't carry objects if I'm using my quirk."

"Then I will keep the egg."

"No offense, but my quirk would be the best suited for keeping the egg safe."

"Well before we start making assumptions, why don't we start by knowing what everyone's quirks are, yes?" he tried to say as pleasantly as possible. He found that people who lacked charm were the hardest to charm.

Yumiko harrumphed but relented. "Anything I paint, anything at all comes to life. I can paint fires, soldiers to fight for me, and even sturdy cases to put eggs in," she said, giving Naoya side-eye with that last one.

 **\- / -**

 **Name: Yumiko Etsuko**

 **Age: 15**

 **Quirk: Painters Power**

 **This power allows any of the creations she paints in her notebook to come to life with the only limitation being her own imagination.**

 **\- / -**

Ren, who had opted to stay out of his two teammates' way, spoke next. "My body can morph into shadows and I can travel at fast speeds through them. However, because my body takes a non-physical form, I won't be able to carry the egg with me."

 **\- / -**

 **Name: Ren Yamanaka**

 **Age: 14**

 **Quirk: Shadow Runner**

 **With this quirk, Ren can phase his body into a non-physical shadow form and blend in with the darkness. However, he is forced out of this form when exposed to light.**

 **\- / -**

The redhead girl turned back to him with a raised eyebrow. "And what exactly can you do?"

Naoya smiled back pleasantly before closing his eyes. He leaned his head back and took in the spring air, the wind carrying a hint of the newly bloomed cherry blossoms. "It doesn't matter. I just need you to be my chess pieces."

* * *

At the entrance of Ground Beta, all ten teams gathered before the blonde bespeckled teacher. Suzuno Hanamiya stood beside his teammates, Riku and Hana, as they waited for instructions. He had half-listened as his teammates talked strategies and plans during the break, but it didn't necessarily take a genius to know that they weren't very clever, what with their peasant education. He snorted in derision. As long as they stayed out of his way, he couldn't care less what they did.

' _In able to narrow down the selection from thirty to six, there has to be more grading criteria._ Individual _grading criteria. They can't rely solely on team points because there will be too many people with the same number of points in the end. Without really knowing what they want from us as a department, I can't really act accordingly. For now, all I can do is stand out,'_ he thought to himself as he glanced over at his teammates, his nose wrinkling in distaste. ' _As far as I'm concerned, they're just as much of enemies as everybody else.'_

The blonde man before them put his hands on his hips and let out a low whistle as he surveyed them.

 **\- / -**

 **Codename: Ace**

 **Age: 25**

 **Position: Weapons, combat, and athletics specialist for the Special Activities Department**

 **Quirk: None**

 **\- / -**

"You guys sure need to lighten up," he commented with a tilted smirk, "my name's Ace and only six of you will be lucky enough to have me as an instructor in a couple weeks. Now come on, I'm not waiting up for anybody." As they followed him deeper into the mock cityscape, he continued. "The boss summed it up pretty well. Each team will get an egg with your team number on it. You get points added with the more eggs you have by the end of the exam. You get points docked if your initial egg gets wrecked along the way so don't go getting a bad case of butterfingers." They stopped in front of a reflective five story building and he turned back to them. "There are ten entrances on the first floor. Each team will enter through their designated entrance. All of you are to immediately stop what you're doing when the buzzer goes off, so no more squabbling or else your team gets docked more points, and no dealing permanent damage to others or else you will be removed by yours truly. Pretty simple, yeah? Other than that…" he leaned in conspiratorially, "there are no rules."

Suzuno smirked at this, a plan already formulating in his head. Ace opened up a carton of eggs sitting on the steps of the building and called up each team one by one until Suzuno had an egg marked with the number eight in his hand.

"Okay, now that that's settled, you'll find a door on the first floor of the building with your team number on it. That'll be your starting entrance. As soon as the doors open, the exam begins and you'll have thirty minutes to collect as many eggs as you can. And remember… we'll be watching your every move."

With that last send off that eerily sounded like a warning, the examinees split up to find their doors. Suzuno's door ended up being one of the side entrances to the building. Just down the way, he could spot two other teams at their doors, both of them eyeing his team suspiciously. Not like they could stand a chance. He almost wished he had them as teammates, instead of the naive members of his team.

"I think we have a good chance," Hana encouraged, "we have a solid offense and defense. We just have to pick our battles wisely, especially if we don't want our own egg to break."

"There were a couple of tanks in the room that we should probably avoid in that case," Riku pitched in as he stretched his quads and looked over to Suzuno, "You've been awfully quiet, Suzuno. What do you think?"

"I think you idiots need to shut up. The exam's about to begin."

His teammates bristled at his words, but as if on cue, the light above their door turned red and the door slammed open. The teams beside them rushed inside and his teammates were quick to enter as well. However, they faltered when Suzuno lingered at the door.

"What's wrong, Suzuno? We only have thirty minutes!" Riku said urgently.

"I'm perfectly capable of remembering simple details on my own, thank you," he drawled flatly, using his quirk to encase the egg in a durable layer of glass before fusing it into a glass breastplate on his chest. They would have to kill him if they wanted this egg. "All I need is for you two dimwits to stay out of my way and we won't have any problems."

Ignoring his teammates' look of shock, he touched the wall and the interior surfaces of the building bloomed with a layer of mirror-like glass. Not waiting for them, he sprinted off into the building in search of the other teams.

 **\- / -**

 **Name: Suzuno Hanamiya**

 **Age: 15**

 **Quirk: Glass Manipulation**

 **Suzuno is able to create and manipulate tiny particles of glass that he produces from his hands to make transparent, reflective, or opaque glass creations of varying strengths and durability.**

 **\- / -**

* * *

"What the fuck?" Bara cursed as a wave of mirrors suddenly lined every surface of the hallway they were in. Even the doors and floor were covered in mirrors.

"So it's already started," Hiroyuki noted amused.

Bara cursed again as she walked right into a wall. "I can't even figure out where I'm going."

"Doesn't matter," Jai deadpanned, taking the lead, "I already downloaded the blueprints to the building so I know where I'm going. Hiroyuki, you're able to see in the dark, correct?"

"Sure can."

 **\- / -**

 **Hiroyuki Yukimura**

 **Age: 14**

 **Quirk: Tiger-Dog**

 **A mutation quirk, Hiroyuki has attributes of both that of a tiger and a dog, allowing him a wide arsenal of abilities including enhanced strength, smell, and speed as well as night vision, retractable claws, dog ears for enhanced hearing, and a tail for improved balance.**

 **\- / -**

"Bara, you swallowed the egg?"

"Tasted gross, but ya."

 **\- / -**

 **Bara Umehara**

 **Age: 14**

 **Quirk: Salamander Mutation**

 **Bara is able to recover from injuries at incredible speeds and regenerate lost limbs and damaged organs. This is paired with her salamander appearance and traits including a tail and bulbous hands. Also like a salamander, she swallows her meals whole.**

 **\- / -**

"Good. We'll split up from here," she stated, facing her teammates. "Hiroyuki, use your sense of smell to track down the other teams and bring Bara with you as backup and to protect whatever eggs you are able to find. I'll head over to the electrical room. It's technically a UA building so it will still have a high-security system on its electrical units. It might take me a while, but I'm sure I can hack into it within our given timeframe. Once I cut the lights, you'll have to solely rely on Hiroyuki's night vision."

"Roger that, Jai," Hiroyuki replies with a mock salute, heading down the hallway with Bara in tow.

 **\- / -**

 **Name: Jai Watanabe**

 **Age: 15**

 **Quirk: CPU**

 **Jai's brain and eyes are completely mechanical and function like a computer complete with a USB cord located in the back of her head. This allows her to look up information, save recordings of what she's seeing in real time, take snapshots, analyze and predict movements, and hack computerized systems.**

 **\- / -**

* * *

 **\- / -**

 **Name: Mimi Dorahanyu**

 **Age: 14**

 **Quirk: Gravity Augmentation**

 **Mimi is able to change the direction that gravity affects her, giving her the ability to walk on walls and ceilings, and seemingly fly by falling upwards.**

 **\- / -**

Mimi was left behind as Akia and Aria went their separate ways. They seemed nice at first, both girls rather demure with Akia being more quiet and Aria being more charming and conversational. That all went down hill when they tried to formulate a plan. The two girls just simply couldn't agree, with Aria wanting to take charge and Akia disapproving of her plan. To be fair, Mimi would have to agree with Akia's fair points regarding the flaws in Aria's plan, but the other girl apparently didn't appreciate criticism. Instead, their disagreement seemed to charge a sort of competition to see who could get the most eggs. That, unfortunately, left Mimi by herself to look after the egg. She sat huddled in a broom closet and sighed.

' _Well maybe if no one finds me, we'll at least have one egg if they fail to get one,'_ she thought to herself as she patted her pocket that held the egg.

Except there wasn't an egg in there.

"Shit."

* * *

Akia's bubble popped and her team's egg landed in her outstretched hands. She honestly didn't trust Mimi to guard it on her own, not with her lack of an offensive quirk. With Aria running off, that left Akia to deal with the smaller details the other girl overlooked. She frowned at the thought and she mentally kicked herself for not being able to properly present her plan and not being able to persuade Aria from running off.

"Must I clean up everybody's messes?" she muttered to herself.

Sighing in mild annoyance, Akia set off to hunt for some eggs. The whole facility was covered in a layer of mirror-like glass, probably due to some kid's quirk, which made it difficult to maneuver around. She had to be careful not to run into walls or hit dead ends. She couldn't imagine how hard it'd be to fight someone in these conditions.

She didn't have to try to imagine it for too long. Akia heard the whistling before she saw them, and she realized the whistling was getting louder just around the corner. She quickly pressed herself against the wall, hoping they didn't notice her just yet, and cautiously, she angled herself so she could see them through the mirror's reflection. A ways away at the end of the corridor were two teens with mutation quirks. One was a boy with grey dog ears and a tail with odd tiger striped markings decorating his skin and the other was a dark-haired girl with a fleshy tail and amphibious hands. The boy leisurely whistled an unfamiliar tune and Akia watched as the girl experimentally tossed an egg in the air before dropping it down her gullet. It left a circular lump in her throat, but it effectively kept it safe… for now.

The boy's ears twitched and he abruptly stopped whistling to sniff the air. Akia ducked away from her vantage point, hoping he didn't see her through the reflection. It didn't seem to do her any good though.

"You can come out," he sing-songed, "save us all some time."

Akia was quickly running different scenarios in her mind as she slowly stood, catching the boy's eye in the mirror. She didn't break eye contact as she turned the corner. She stood a good twenty feet away, a safe enough distance away where they wouldn't take her by surprise.

"Blue and pink hair?" the boy commented curiously, "let me guess, a bubble gum quirk? That's kinda neat. You know, I almost didn't smell you there. What kind of soap do you use?"

His partner tilted her head as she scrutinized Akia. "Where's your team? Do you even have your egg?"

Wordlessly, Akia flashed her egg before tucking it back in her jacket pocket and readying herself for a fight. The boy smiled gratefully before barreling towards her at a startling speed… she could use this to her advantage. Swallowing back her nerves, Akia started running too.

' _I just need to time this right.'_

Just feet before they could collide, Akia released a slurry of soap from her forearms, leaving a path before her and trail of it behind her. Before he could touch her, she dropped all her weight to the ground and slid past him. Due to his speed and the frictionless soap, the boy couldn't stop and he gave a small yelp as he continued slipping and sliding down the hall. With one opponent out of the way, Akia focused her attention on the next task at hand. She knew she wasn't physically strong or as fit as the other girl, but she hoped she could pull through with only her wit. From the momentum of her sprint, Akia was sliding towards the amphibious girl at an incredible speed, catching the other girl off guard. With one well-placed foot, Akia rammed her foot into the girl's diaphragm and the girl choked as the egg was dislodged from her throat.

Catching the egg before it could hit the floor, Akia threw up a wall of bubbles and foam to obscure the girl's view before taking off at a dead sprint. It was only until she reached the second floor that Akia allowed herself to freak out.

"Ew, ew, ew, ew!" she squealed, nearly dropping the egg in disgust. She used her soap to disinfect the egg and rid it of the layer of saliva and bile that collected around it. It still felt dirty to her even after she washed it to the point that the number came off. She herself felt dirty and she couldn't stop herself from scratching at her arms, a nervous habit that did little to comfort her now. Knowing that she would never be satisfied, she tried to swallow her disgust as best as she could and checked her watch.

 _Twenty minutes._

 **\- / -**

 **Name: Akia Kiyoraka**

 **Age: 15**

 **Quirk: Soap**

 **Akia is able to produce bubbles of varying durability and a pink and blue soap-like substance from her forearms. Not only is her soap a highly efficient cleaning product, but it can make any surface practically frictionless when applied.**

 **\- / -**

* * *

Fifteen minutes in and Suzuno had already run into his third group. He stood before a girl with a dragonfly mutation quirk, a seemingly normal redheaded boy, and a girl with a lizard-like tongue lolling out of her mouth. Seeing that he was alone, the three smirked, thinking that they had him outnumbered.

"Well look what we have here," the lizard girl mused with an almost cruel lilt to her voice, "is that an egg on your chest?"

"Three actually," Suzuno replied flatly.

"It would be such a hassle to get to them. Why don't you just hand them over now?" she coaxed sweetly. "Mr. Ace did say no permanent damage. I wouldn't say broken ribs are permanent, hmm?"

Suzuno rolled his eyes and flicked his wrist. The mirrored wall shot up behind them, blocking off a back exit. "I don't think I gave you permission to speak to me."

"Oh? You're incredibly arrogant for someone who's outnumbered."

"Well you are beneath me," he replied matter of factly, "you talk too much. Let me remedy that."

The wall behind them started moving inward, forcing the trio toward him. Sensing the escalating situation, the redhead boy shapeshifted into a lion and bounded towards him, however, the mirrored floor moved and swallowed the lion's form before he could get any further. Now encased in a mass of glass with only his head sticking out, the boy reverted back to human form.

"So this is the guy who turned the building into some funhouse!" the boy bit out furiously.

"Tsubaki, get out of here and protect the egg. I'll deal with him," the lizard girl barked.

The dragonfly girl zoomed past him but didn't get very far until another wall shot up and blocked her way. Before the lizard girl could react, another wall blocked her from getting in the way of Suzuno and his target.

"Well it's just you and me now," Suzuno stated evenly, fixing the girl with an icy stare, "are we going to do this the easy way or am I going to have to squash you like the bug you are?" He didn't give her time to reply and four sharpened pillars sprung from the glass floor and walls, pinning her in place. "It's almost a little too easy. How disappointing, but I'm not entirely surprised."

"You little shi-mph!" the girl cursed before he swiped a layer of glass over her mouth.

"What did I say about talking too much?" Suzuno challenged imperiously, "you're more annoying than the last group."

Suzuno fished the egg out of her bag without much fuss. If she struggled too much, she'd risk tearing her wings. A hissing noise filled the air and Suzuno peered over his shoulder, A hole was being burned into the glass wall, just enough to see the enraged face of the lizard girl.

' _An acid quirk then.'_

He tilted his head as he stared back apathetically. "I'm afraid you're too late. You might've had a shot if your partner was competent enough to buy you more time." With that, Suzuno fused the fourth egg into the protective glass armor on his chest. "But I suppose you never stood a chance in the first place."

"I'll fucking kill you!"

"I'd say it was a pleasure, but I think I'd rather gouge out my own eyes than waste anymore of my time with you trash."

Suzuno slipped through the wall as the glass melted away to allow him entry, stepping past the girl who was pinned to the wall like a butterfly on a glass display without a second glance. With four eggs on his person, he was just shy of having half of the eggs in the game, perhaps even more than half if any of the other eggs broke. He was fairly confident he'd win, even if he went out of his way to destroy eggs now to cut down the competition.

Of course, that was the moment the lights went out.

* * *

A blue-haired girl shakily placed her egg in Naoya's outstretched palm before she and her team sprinted off in the opposite direction. The two snarling dogs that rounded them up barked at their retreating backs, but stayed beside Yumiko.

Ren let out a huff as Naoya placed the egg in the shatter-proof compartment Yumiko painted earlier. "Fucking finally. Of course it'd be our luck that the first four teams we run into didn't have any eggs. Whoever killed the lights did us a huge favor." It was hardly dark enough to be pitch black, but dark enough that it took a few minutes for eyes to adjust. This, however, allowed Ren more free reign throughout the entire facility with his quirk.

"We're hardly out of the woods yet," Naoya said simply, "if five groups don't have eggs, that means other teams have stock piled the remaining. Ren, do you think you can find another group? Take the dogs with you."

Smirking, Ren saluted him and melted into the shadows and the dogs took off down the hall, leaving Naoya and Yumiko. The redheaded girl was still pouting about being booted from the leadership position, not that Naoya particularly cared about her feelings.

"I don't get why I can't just paint up some bombs and round up the other teams that way," Yumiko muttered from her cross-legged position on the floor.

"Because eggs have a tendency to break when exposed to brute force," Naoya replied bluntly, much like his previous responses to all her past suggestions.

"Do you even have a quirk or is your ability the power to be a bossy piece of shit," she huffed in agitation, "I remember seeing you at the hero exams. You were in the same training ground as me and you did absolutely nothing while people like me were actually putting forth an effort."

He shrugged noncommittally. "There wasn't much I could do given the situation."

"Kinda like now? At least Ren and I are pulling our weight. People like you don't belong at UA."

He stilled at this, though his face didn't give him away. "Oh? You really think so?"

"I know so," she retorted stubbornly. "What's so special about you anyway? Why are you one of the thirty picked in all of Japan for this exam after failing the hero exam so miserably? It must have been a fluke."

Naoya simply smiled and shrugged, turning away from her. It wasn't really worth his time trying to justify himself to her, not that he even needed to.

"Hey!" she barked, standing up and grabbing a fistful of his shirt, "don't ignore me! You think you're fucking hot shit, don't you? You probably have no idea what hard work even looks like. You didn't have to work for it like I had to. I tried so hard to get into the Hero Department. I'm trying even harder to get into this department. You have no idea the blood, sweat, and tears I had to go through to get here. And then there's pieces of shit like you who are just _handed_ everything on a silver platter. You didn't even lift a finger for any of these exams and then you have the _gall_ to boss us around like fucking lackies, and for what? A single egg?"

His smile was still on his face, but he narrowed his eyes dangerously at her, something she could barely make out in the darkness. "If you have a personal problem with me, you can take it up with me after the exam, but let's focus on the task at hand. We really can't afford to fight with each other when we have twenty-seven other people at our throats to worry about."

Their little standoff was interrupted as they heard barking in the distance. Yumiko scoffed, shoving Naoya away from her and prepared for a fight. Nearly out of breath and running down the hallway towards them was a figure with pigtails. They could tell by the crescendoing growls and barks that the dogs were hot on her tail. The girl skidded to a halt as she saw them waiting for her. It was unclear to see in the darkness, but she had turned back to the dogs before they could pounce on her and squirted them with some kind of substance from her arms. Yumiko herself growled when the sound of cries and whines filled the air and the two shadowy dog figures seemed to melt away.

The girl stood straighter to face them but was punched in the gut seemingly out of nowhere. She stumbled only to be kicked in the back, falling to her knees. Ren re-materialized and scrutinized her, but that was his mistake. He was standing in the puddle of that was left from the disintegrated dogs, and the darkness allowed her to take him by surprise and sweep his legs out from underneath him. She took off then but Naoya knew they could catch up to her since she wasn't as fit as them and she was already out of breath. He started after her, only to slip on the slick substance on the floor and crush Ren with his fall. Naoya bit back a curse as Yumiko nearly doubled over in laughter, not bothering to offer either of them a hand.

"I don't know why she's alone, but if she's trying to run away from us, she might have an egg. We only have ten minutes left. We need to catch up to her," Naoya said, wobbling as he stood.

"What the hell even is this?" Ren cursed, only to slip as he took another step.

"As pleasant as this is, we don't have time _._ Take off your shoes and let's go," he retorted, tossing his own shoes as he took off in a run. Ren sped off in shadow form and Yumiko soon joined him, flanked by two hyenas.

* * *

Hiroyuki paused mid-step and his ears twitched, his falter making Bara linger as well. "There's someone headed towards us, and if I remember that smell, or lack thereof, I think it's our not-a-bubblegum quirk friend who punched you in the gut."

"Oh hell no, we're getting our egg back!" Bara screeched in indignation.

He tilted his head as he sniffed. "There are two people trailing her and… two hyenas as well? I can hear them but I can't smell them. It almost smells like ink."

"Well if they're looking for a fight, we have an upperhand with your night vision."

He shrugged with a smile on his face. "Then let's get to it. I'm sure Jai wouldn't appreciate us loitering."

Bara followed as Hiroyuki ran off, and surely enough, a familiar pig-tailed figure was running towards them in the distance. However, before they could get close, a boy materialized out of nowhere, standing between the two parties. The girl and the boy were at a standstill and it wasn't long before her two pursuers flanked her followed by two laughing hyenas. The boy with an albino's coloring who had chased her tilted his head as he gazed ahead at Hiroyuki and Bara.

"Well it looks like we have company," he mused, though the humor didn't reach his eyes. "Ren, do you think you can handle them?"

Ren smirked, looking over his shoulder at the two. "These two? Easily."

The boy seemed to melt into the ground and even with his enhanced senses, Hiroyuki was caught off guard as Ren reappeared and punched him in the nose. Stunned, he stumbled but could hardly recover before something - or someone - hooked his legs and toppled him over.

' _I can't see him and I can't hear or smell him until a split second before he reappears. It's like he's disappearing completely.'_

Ren began giving Bara the same treatment and eventually knocked her out with a mean right hook. He shook off his hand before peering over back at Hiroyuki, and then suddenly punches were raining down on him again.

' _Okay, he doesn't hit in the same place twice and alternates between attacking from the front and attacking from the back. If I can just get one good hit on him…'_

Hiroyuki was knocked back as Ren landed another blow to his gut. Forcing himself to ignore the pain, he swiveled on his foot and put all his strength into an aimless punch. He was aiming for a cheek, but he did end up hitting his mark. Ren flew backwards and hit the ground without any indication of getting back up. With his night vision allowing him to see Ren's bleeding and severely crooked nose, Hiroyuki let out a low whistle.

"Ooh, that's definitely broken. I hope that doesn't count as 'permanent damage.' Ace'll have my hide. Chariot always did say he's always ready to dish out punishment."

Looking over to his partner, Hiroyuki nudged Bara with his foot but the girl was out cold as well. Shrugging, he turned to the matter at hand.

Meanwhile, Akia was trying to stave off the barrage of animals and golems Yumiko was sending her way. Fortunately for her, her soap seemed to melt them easily. Splashing an armed golem with it, she ripped its hammer from its grasp and smashed the mirrored ground, the hammer disintegrating soon after. Naoya, who had been barefoot, let out a curse as he stepped on the glass shards and stumbled to the ground. With Naoya down, Yumiko raised her paintbrush to her notepad ready to create another soldier, but Akia was faster. It only took one splash of her quirk for the notebook to be drenched and ruined, the Yumiko's half-drawn picture seemingly melting off the page.

"You ruined my notebook," the redhead girl said in shock before her face morphed into anger, "I liked that notebook! Do you know how hard it is to find quality art supplies now a days? They don't even sell that brand in this city, not after Mount Lady _stepped_ on my favorite art store. Bitch you're going down, it's personal now."

She tossed her notebook before flinging herself at the blue and pink-haired girl, Akia letting out a little shriek as she was tackled to the floor. As the two girls wrestled for dominance, Naoya shakily stood, avoiding the fresh wounds on his feet by balancing on his heels. A black aura radiated around him as he narrowed his focus in on Akia.

Of course it would be his luck that his focus was cut short as someone landed on him from the vent above. A short brunette girl pinned him down and rolled away before his aura could latch onto her.

"Aria, what are you doing here?" Akia asked incredulously, her body contorted in an uncomfortable position to avoid smashing the eggs in her pocket as Yumiko continued to snarl at her. She was surprised, but she wasn't necessarily complaining about her estranged partner's arrival.

"You looked like you needed help," the other girl replied with a humorous smile, despite the situation. "Plus, every single team I've run into doesn't have an egg, so I'm sure they'll do."

While she was distracted, Naoya grabbed her arm, aiming to pin her down, but with her previous martial arts training and Naoya's injury, Aria had the upper hand. She grasped his arm in return before flipping him over her shoulder and slamming him into the ground, his aura dispersing as his back hit the floor.

Aria turned back to Akia who was currently being pinned down by Yumiko and jumped into the fold. Despite her tiny frame, Aria was quite strong after years of martial arts and gymnastics. It was almost effortlessly that she grabbed the thin red headed girl by the back of her shirt and hauled her off her struggling teammate. Yumiko turned her ire towards Aria now and threw a punch, however, Aria gracefully danced just out of reach, dodging every blow before landing her own punch. Yumiko stumbled but caught herself, glaring at the newcomer. Snarling, she ran at her, drawing her fist back only for her knuckles to connect with the back of Aria's head as the girl turned on her heel. Yumiko felt her fingers spasm in pain as she took in the girl's quirk.

 **\- / -**

 **Name: Aria Kazuharu**

 **Age: 14**

 **Quirk: Hard as Nails**

 **Aria's quirk allows her to strengthen the keratin in her body, particularly her hair and nails, turning them both into an effective shield and weapon.**

 **\- / -**

While the three girls were preoccupied, Hiroyuki turned his attention towards Naoya, spotting the egg container at his right hip.

 _Thirty seconds left_

With his enhanced speed, Hiroyuki sped past the girls, darting past as Yumiko aimed a punch at the back of Aria's head.

 _Fifteen seconds left_

Struggling to sit up, Naoya started as Hiroyuki suddenly appeared before him. Knowing exactly what he came here for, Naoya's right hand shot out and met Hiroyuki's. Despite the disorienting pain from being tossed around and having broken glass embedded into his feet, his accumulating annoyance was all the focus and motivation he needed to force his quirk onto Hiroyuki. Naoya's aura shot out and engulfed the white-haired boy, catching him off guard.

" _You're a good little pet, aren't you Byakko?" an older man asked, petting a younger Hiroyuki's head and scratching right behind his canine ears just where he knew he liked it. The child whimpered at the absence of his touch when the man pulled away, but he knew better than to beg. His master never liked begging._

" _Anything for you, Yoshirou."_

"Time's up!" Ace's voice blasted over the intercom.

Naoya has more questions than answers after peering into Hiroyuki's head, but reluctantly withdrew despite his inquisitive nature. At least he effectively stopped the tiger-dog boy before he could snatch up the eggs. The lights were suddenly shut on and all of them winced at the harshness of the lights. With the lights on, Naoya could properly see all of his opponents and the mess they made. A light blue and pink goo coated the entire hallway, a part of the floor had been destroyed with mirror shards littering the floor, Bara and Ren lay bloodied and unconscious on the floor, and Yumiko was cursing up a storm as she clutched her broken hand.

"What…" Hiroyuki muttered, causing Naoya to look back to the boy still leaning over him, "what the fuck was that." He was interrupted as sardonic clapping filled the hallway.

"Congratulations. I think you all thoroughly wrecked the place," Ace stated as he strolled down the hall. He surveyed the damage with thinly veiled amusement. "Hiroyuki, will you be so kind as to take Bara, Ren, and Yumiko to the infirmary? They'll need to be at their best for the next part of the exam." When the boy didn't move, Ace's smile turned sharp. "Or you can just go back from where you came from. I'm sure that wouldn't be a disappointment."

Jerkily and almost robotically, the boy wordlessly moved, throwing both Bara and Ren over his shoulders and leading a very confused Yumiko out of the building. Akia, Aria, and Naoya were just as easily confused by the interaction, but were only met with Ace's forced smile.

"It looks like Akia did a number on you," he said, looking at Naoya's feet, "better send you off too." The blonde man effortlessly swept the albino boy up and began following after Hiroyuki and the others. Before the boy could protest, Ace gave him a silencing look. "Do you want to walk to the infirmary with glass in your feet?"

Naoya frowned, but didn't argue. "This is a rather dangerous exam, if so many people are getting hurt."

"Of course. If you kids can't take this, you wouldn't last a day." Ace looked over his shoulder at the two girls. "Well? You better hurry up 'cause I'm not waiting for you. Then you'll just get zero points." That got the two moving, though suddenly standing made Akia's world reel around her and the blue and pink haired girl promptly vomited on the ground, just barely missing her shoes. Aria was immediately at her side, rubbing circles into the girl's back while Ace wrinkled his nose. "Do you need to go to the infirmary too?"

"No, no," she panted hoarsely. "I'll be fine."

Akia reached into her pocket and pulled out a small bottle of pills, popping two in her mouth. She couldn't help but grimace at the aftertaste of bile.

The UA teacher raised an eyebrow as he assessed her. "Does your quirk make you sick?"

"With prolonged use."

He gave a thoughtful hum before turning once more on his heel. "Well if you insist that you're fine, then let's go. I want to get this next exam started."

* * *

 **The Overture: The Second Movement**

Once they got everybody else rounded up, they returned to the lecture hall where the rest of the staff were waiting. The once alert, tense, and competitive room of applicants were now a mix of despondent, grumpy, and in Suzuno's case, smug. Akira was once again at the head of the staff and waited for the the students to get back from their visit to Recovery Girl before beginning.

"Before we go onto the second half of the exam, we would like to announce the results of the first exam," Akira began as the screen lit up with life. The room was filled with mixed reactions of preening, relief, and despair as the students silently studied the results.

 **Team 8: Hanamiya Suzuno, Yamamoto Riku, Kawa Hana - 4 targets cleared**

 **Team 3: Kiyoraka Akia, Kazuharu Aria, Darahanyu Mimi - 2 targets cleared**

 **Team 4: Watanabe Jai, Umehara Bara, Yukimura Hiroyuki - 2 targets cleared**

 **Team 10: Yamanaka Ren, Saito Naoya, Etsuko Yumiko - 2 targets cleared**

Despite the mass wave of silence, Akira still smiled. "Out of the ten teams, these four were the only ones who were able to retrieve eggs. However, I wouldn't despair or get too comfortable just yet. We have our own individual grading criteria and were watching all of you closely during the exam. Even though these teams were the ones to succeed in the exam at face value, there are individuals who surpass some of those on this list. This next exam will be the final indicator of who the final six will be. I will now like to invite Black Echo to the podium to speak on the next phase of our entrance exam."

Akira stepped aside and allowed the younger man to come forward to the mic. The quiet blindfolded man faced them now. "Before we start, I would like to thank you all for coming here to participate in our entrance exam. All thirty of you came here searching for a way to make an impact on the world. Though we can only accept six students for our program, those who remain can still make just as much of an impact; perhaps even more so. This isn't a consolation but the truth. We selected the thirty of you out of the entire nation and you should be proud of your potential and achievements up till this point. For those of you who will move on from UA, this is not the end of the line. No matter the results, we all hope that you leave UA today striving for greatness."

 **\- / -**

 **Name: Black Echo**

 **Age: 27**

 **Quirk: Sight Projector**

 **Everything Black Echo sees can be stored in his eyes and later projected like a movie, allowing himself and others to watch and assess the past in great detail.**

 **\- / -**

Hana started clapping which started a domino effect, filling the hall with applause. Black Echo's gesture, they realized, was the only form of genuine encouragement they received that day. The man himself was surprised by the reception, but knew they wouldn't be thanking him for long.

"For the next phase of the exam, the person with the lowest score on your team will be moved to a different team. From there, you will be relocated to a private classroom where I will personally monitor the second exam." The new teams were displayed on the screen and the feelings of uneasiness returned as each of them found out who the weakest on the team was. "Your team numbers correspond with a classroom number on this hall. I would like you all to make your way to your assigned rooms and wait until I can proctor your exam."

At the dismissal, the students looked around unsurely, trying to find their new teammate. Looking at the screen, Naoya noted that Ren was the one to be sent off and their new teammate was a familiar face.

 **Team 10: Saito Naoya, Etsuko Yumiko, Kawa Hana**

Looking across the way, he spotted a smiling Hana and she waved. He couldn't really understand why she was so chipper, considering that she placed last among her group members. Nonetheless, Naoya offered a small smile and motioned her to join him. Yumiko also made her way over after spotting them.

"So you're the new groupie then," Yumiko stated, dramatically scrutinizing the shy girl.

"This is Hana. We met briefly before the first exam," Naoya introduced.

The redhead narrowed her eyes at him before poking him in the chest. "Don't get too chummy with me. I still don't like you, bucko."

"How can you say that?" Hana defended, "Naoya is so nice!"

Yumiko made a face at her before turning on her heel and walking towards the exit. "Well let's just get this over with, shall we? I can't stand either of you."

Naoya turned to a startled Hana and gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. She's always like that, but she's right. We better head over."

Hana started at his words but then nodded determinedly. It didn't take too long to find Room Ten. They watched as the other teams filed into their respective rooms nearby before slipping into their assigned classroom. The three of them were surprised by how barren the room was. The only things that occupied the empty space were a single chair and a long table. Yumiko claimed the table as her own, sitting unceremoniously on it as she dared the other two to say something about it. Naoya politely offered Hana the chair and elected to lean against the classroom wall as they waited.

"You know," Naoya mused, "this exam is nothing like the entrance exam to the Hero Department."

Yumiko snorted in response. "Yeah, no kidding."

"How do you two know?" Hana asked curiously.

"We both failed the entrance exam for the Hero Department last fall," he explained not unkindly, "its rather odd though, that the Hero Department would forbid us from hurting each other while the Special Activities Department would almost encourage it with its lack of rules as long as we produced results. I dare say it almost sounds unheroic."

Yumiko opened her mouth to retort, but they all froze when the sound of screams penetrated the air. The two girls seemed visibly perturbed while Naoya's smile fell into a neutrally guarded expression. Naoya and Yumiko easily identified the voice as Ren's as he screamed and begged between hoarse sobs. A loud, jolting banging followed after, causing Ren's screams to intensify. After a straight minute of this, everything fell silent and the three teammates were left both shaken and tense.

"What the actual fuck?" Yumiko managed to whisper.

They gave a startled jump as the door slid open revealing Black Echo. He was holding a black bag in his hand, which he dropped on the table, causing Yumiko to scramble away. He gave them a small smile, but with the black blindfold, they couldn't tell if it reached his eyes.

"Let's get started, shall we?" he began pleasantly. He opened up the bag, pulling out two pairs of handcuffs.

"Kinky," Yumiko commented, trying to shake off her previous shock with humor.

"The second portion of this exam is an interrogation. The objective is pretty simple. One of you three will be given a word and interrogated while the other two will have thirty minutes to obtain the word from the interrogation subject's own lips. Being the individual with the lowest points on her team, Hana will be the interrogation subject. It looks like you're already in place," he said before stepping toward the girl who looked more like a rabbit who had been caught by a wolf. After hearing Ren's screams, Hana looked about ready to run, but Black Echo stopped her. "Any of you can refuse to take this exam, however, it translates as an automatic failure and you will not be considered for the program no matter your current standings. Even if you don't meet the objective, you can still get points and be considered for the six openings we have. If you would like to leave, please do so now."

Naoya was neutral-faced, Yumiko fidgeted, and Hana looked considerably paler, but the three stayed resolutely where they were. Accepting their silence, Black Echo proceeded to handcuff each of Hana's wrists to the chair's arms. "Hana, you will be forbidden from using your quirk during this exam. I know you can't really help it, but it is procedural that I inform you should you try to purposefully use your quirk on Yumiko or Naoya."

"She won't get hurt right?" Yumiko cut in, finding her voice.

Black Echo turned his head towards the redhead and straightened. "That all depends on you two. How far will you go to get the information you need?"

 _How far will you go to win?_

Not waiting for a response, he strode back to his bag and pulled out a rolled up tool kit, unraveling its contents neatly across the table. The stench of fresh blood filled the air as each tool glinted meanly against the fluorescent lights. Bloodied hammers, nails, bamboo sticks, clippers, and knives of various makes and sizes laid neatly side by side. It wasn't hard to figure out why Ren was screaming now. Hana looked close to hyperventilating and Yumiko wasn't looking any better.

Black Echo shuffled a deck of notecards from his bag and picked the top one. He flashed the card in front of Hana, away from Yumiko's and Naoya's eyes. "Commit it to memory. This is essentially your safe word. The moment you say this word, the interrogation will end at the price of your loss. You, however, have a slight advantage. You can win without them, but they can't win without you. You ultimately control the results of this exam," he said, pulling a stopwatch out of his pocket, "now that everything is understood, your time starts now."

Naoya looked curiously over at Yumiko who was visibly shaking. He thought it was from fear, but the girl balled up her fists and bared her teeth at Black Echo. "What the fuck is this? How can a school like UA accept this? How can they allow harm to come to its students?"

The raven-haired man shrugged. "They allow harm to come to minors all the time, both in the entrance exam and in the classrooms. One boy even shattered all the bones in his arm during the Hero Department 's entrance exam a couple years back. If you want to be technical, there's a disclaimer in UA's policy and guidelines stating that all who participate in the academy's exams and classes are at a risk for injury and that the school cannot be prosecuted for any health-related issues due to the nature of the school's curriculum. By showing up to this exam, you have already agreed to putting yourself at risk for harm. We already had to send ten students to the infirmary after the first exam alone including yourself. If you can't handle this fact, perhaps this isn't the profession for you."

"This isn't about me!" Yumiko shouted back angrily, "I refuse to torture another human being. It's against my morals and that of heroes. Kick me out, I don't care. I refuse to do it. I will make my mark on the world my own way!"

Black Echo nodded understandingly. "If that's the case, the door is that way. Please allow Naoya to complete his exam without any interruptions. We are speaking on his exam time after all."

"Fine," she snapped back before storming away. She stopped at the door to give him a heated glare. "And I thought you were the cool teacher! I now retract that statement!"

The door slammed shut behind her and with it, her world shattered.

* * *

Yumiko jolted upright, her heart pounding in her chest as she tried to regain her bearings.

"What…?" she muttered dazedly, her head wildly swiveling around to assess her surroundings.

She was still sitting in her seat in the lecture hall. The kids around her were sitting unmoving, staring blindly ahead with blank expressions on their faces. Yumiko's gaze fell to the stage then. Front in center stood the pale female teacher, gazing down at all of them with glowing blue eyes like a stone angel seeking retribution.

 **\- / -**

 **Codename: Delphi**

 **Age: 24**

 **Quirk: Dreamworld**

 **Delphi can trap individuals within her field of vision in an intense and vivid illusion. While her victims may use their own abilities and can feel all five of their senses while trapped in her dreamworld, their quirks and sensations do not manifest in the real world starting at her quirk's inception.**

 **\- / -**

"Miss Etsuko," Black Echo called, breaking Yumiko's confused stare.

"I…" she started and swallowed, "I failed didn't I?"

He nodded solemnly, looking contrite. "Yes. No one was ever in danger, but as I said, those who choose not to participate will not be considered for our program."

"So that was still you proctoring our exam?"

"In a sense. Delphi is able to project me into her illusions, though she is now using a fabricated version of me so I can talk with you. Since we can no longer consider you, there's no reason for you to stay until the end of the exam. Allow me to escort you out."

Yumiko balled her fists and stared at her lap, not meeting his eye, but she obeyed without a fuss. The other teachers watched as they left with neutral expressions, but didn't bother with the pleasantries of parting words. They walked silently down the hall as she stewed in her thoughts, too preoccupied to even notice Echo's slight limp. It wasn't until they reached the exit that the girl finally found her voice again.

"I… I can't believe I blew it. I was so _close_ ," Yumiko said angrily, more upset with herself than anyone else.

"You shouldn't be so hard on yourself," Black Echo stated in that soft voice of his.

"I don't need your pity!" she bit back.

"It's not pity. You know, Ace was actually the one to recommend we invite you to the entrance exam."

"Him?" she asked incredulously, "he didn't really seem to take any particular shine to me."

"He's passionate and he also likes to see passionate people succeed. He saw your performance at the Hero Department's entrance exam and even though you didn't make it in, he immediately wanted you for our program. He didn't make it into UA either when he had applied years ago."

"Oh, so it's _his_ pity then."

"Not quite, though I imagine he sees a lot of himself in you. Despite not getting accepted into UA, he went on to become one of the strongest men I know. I'd trust him with my life in a heartbeat. What I'm trying to get at is that this isn't the end of the line for you. Despite your orders, you refused to hurt a defenseless classmate. That act of defiance is incredibly admirable of you and you already have more honor than many of those currently taking the exam who wouldn't hesitate to harm their peers if it meant getting what they wanted. You are already more heroic than any of them."

"Now that the exam is over, can you tell me what exactly the Special Activities Department is?" Yumiko asked.

"Oh?" he mused, "it's a beta program we're testing out, which is why we're not taking a lot of students this first year. We essentially will be teaching the students how to use their quirks in creative ways so that they can be applied to their talents and future professions to better society as a whole. Our exams, while seemingly dangerous in nature, is to test how creatively you could complete the objectives. With no rules against injuries in the first exam and laying out torturing devices in the second, most would immediately turn to harm others. While we didn't necessarily rule out those who completed the objective using force, it was those who were the most creative, those that didn't need violence, that gained the most points."

Well... it wasn't technically a lie.

"So what do I do from here?" she asked him, feeling a bit lost now that she was rejected by UA for a second time.

"The Special Activities Department is not as flashy as the Hero Department and perhaps not as heroic. I honestly don't think you would have been fulfilled by it. I strongly suggest you reapply to the Hero Department next year as a transfer student. I can even put in a recommendation for you."

"A recommendation?" Yumiko started in shock, "but that means…"

"You'll be exempt from the entrance exam. From what you've shown us today, it's clear that you have the skill and the moral judgement needed to succeed."

"You mean it?!" she shouted, nearly cutting him off.

"Of course this means that you'll have to continue training until the next school year so you can keep up with the second years. I can even arrange for personal training under a hero until then. You'll still have to do an internship of some sort and maybe apply for your provisional license, but -" he was interrupted when the redhead threw herself at him, catching the blind man off guard.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she said in rapid cessation, "I lied. I still think you're the coolest teacher here!"

He smiled lightly and patted her on the back. "Well you better be off if you want to catch the next train. I'll make sure to be in touch with more details soon."

"You won't regret it!" she shouted as she took off into the courtyard, waving behind her before disappearing past the school gates.

Black Echo faced the direction she ran off in before turning back. He didn't get far down the hall before he felt a familiar presence.

"That was rather generous of you," Ace commented neutrally from his spot against the wall. "You're not growing soft, are you?"

"You never fail to catch me off guard," Black Echo said amusedly as they walked back together.

The other man shrugged noncommittally. "Ballet."

"Maybe I'm growing soft in my old age." Ace snorted at that. "But I'm not babying her. She'll still have to work for it. The Hero Department curriculum is challenging and she'll have to fight hard to keep her spot. I'm simply giving her a chance. Isn't that what the Special Activities Division offered you?"

There was a comfortable silence between them as they continued down the hall. It was moments like these that gave Echo the motivation to keep moving forward, where both of them were comfortable enough to drop the formalities of work and the walls that hid their thoughts, emotions, and vulnerabilities. Where they could separate work tensions from their relationship and simply appreciate each other's presence even in silence. He's not sure where he'd be without these moments.

It was before they reached the lecture hall when Ace finally replied. "So… I'm one of the strongest people you know?"

Black Echo threw his head back and laughed. "That's what you got out of it?"

* * *

Naoya watched as Yumiko angrily stormed out of the room, shouting and slamming the door behind her with finality. Black Echo didn't seemed perturbed by her ire though and turned back to him.

"Twenty-five minutes left. You better get started."

His gaze slid over to the arsenal of bloodied utensils. "I have to get her to voluntarily tell me the word?" he asked.

"Yes, so even if you use your quirk to retrieve it, you can't meet your objective until you get her to willingly provide the information."

Naoya hummed in understanding, dragging a finger over the bloodied hammer thoughtfully and staining it a crimson red. He looked to Hana then. She was practically quivering in fear, but she stayed despite being given the opportunity to leave or give up the information.

' _Well… her funeral.'_

His pleasant smile slipped back on as he strode over to her with a feline grace. His smile no longer brought her comfort, but rather chilled her to the bone.

"You know," he admitted lightly, "I asked you about your quirk, but I never told you about mine. I suppose that's not fair to you."

"Naoya..."

"I won't use what's currently lying on the desk, if that's what you're worried about. I've personally always found emotional torture more effective than physical torture."

"What do you mean? Naoya, you're scaring me."

"Did you know the one thing humanity has always fallen back on in times of duress? Their happy memories - fond times when things were better for them." He dragged his finger down her cheek almost fondly, creating a bloody tear streak. "I wonder if you'll break if you happened to lose all those memories of better times."

 **\- / -**

 **Name: Naoya Saito**

 **Age: 15**

 **Quirk: Mind Eater**

 **Naoya emits a black aura that allows him to tap into the memories of his victims. With this ability, he can access, alter, erase, and restore the memories of his targets.**

 **\- / -**

Hana jerked violently in her chair, her wrists straining against the cuffs keeping her in place as Naoya gave off a sinister black mist.

"Naoya, please," Hana begged as the mist snaked up her legs and wrapped around her.

"What would you have me do? If I stop, I lose. If you give up your information, you lose. It's a test of who has the greater conviction. How far will you go to win? I know how far I would. I hope you don't think badly of me for it," he said, echoing her words from their first meeting.

Hana screamed as the fog fully engulfed her, giving Naoya full access to her memories. He penned through a few thoughtfully. She seemed the kind to be predisposed to sorrow. She definitely wasn't kidding when she said she was a social pariah in her small, close-minded town. It would explain why Hana lacked confidence and seemed to desperately grasp onto any sort of kindness anyone offered her. So many painful memories full of teasing and curses, tears, and awful pranks. Children could be so cruel. He found one of her crying at her mother's funeral, the young girl forced to grieve away from the grave and the mourning party in the cold winter snow as they scorned the child and her quirk. Cursed, they called her. A bad omen. A monster.

But Naoya finally found a small happy memory in the sea of despair. The brightest light in the smothering darkness.

 _A woman who looked very much like Hana brushed a younger Hana's hair in front of an ebony vanity. She hummed a low, soothing melody as she did so with an affectionate smile on her face._

" _Mama, why does everybody hate me?" Hana murmured, despondent as she kicked her short legs back and forth idly, "I try to be good like you said, b-but… they all call me mean names or run away."_

" _People fear what they can't understand, sweetheart," her mother replied sadly, "and there will be people who will never understand."_

" _And you Mama? Doesn't it hurt you to touch me?" Hana whispered with tears in her eyes, "I don't want to hurt you. I don't want to hurt anyone. I wish I never had this curse."_

" _Who said it was a curse?" her mother demanded sharply, briefly pausing in her ministrations._

" _Mrs. Ohoko said I was cursed on the way to school today," Hana murmured reluctantly, "and the other kids in my class call me a freak."_

 _Her mother set down the brush and cupped her cheek so that she could properly look Hana in the eye. "Never let the words of others define you. You were made for greatness. Never let anyone tell you otherwise." Her words seemed to break the child's restraint and Hana sobbed into her mother's chest. Despite the pain it caused her, her mother held her closely, smoothing her hair._

" _I love you Mama," the little girl sniffled, her words muffled in her mother's shirt._

" _And I love you, Hana. More than anything in this world."_

" _You'll bring me to see the cherry blossoms in the city, right Mama?"_

" _Yes darling, in the spring we'll go see the cherry blossoms together, just you and me. I promise."_

 _Her mother died in the winter…_

And just as quickly as snuffling out a candle, Naoya took the memory from her and then he stole her mother's face from the rest of her memories. Hana's screams echoed off the empty classroom walls as she struggled against the bonds. She screamed and screamed until he was sure she would lose her voice.

"Her face!" Hana wailed and struggled madly like a madwoman to the point that the cuffs cut into her wrist and drew blood, "I can't remember my mother's face!"

"The word, Hana," Naoya demanded impassively in the shadows of his black aura.

"I can't," Hana whimpered, tears staining her ruddy cheeks, "it'd be easy if it were just me, but she wanted this for me so bad. I have to do it for her. I have to!"

"Then perhaps I can remedy that for you. I can rewrite your entire history, your entire existence in a blink of an eye. You thought your life was hard, I can make it worse. I can change your name, your hometown, your childhood. I can make it so that your mother never loved you. I can make her die before your eyes over and over again. I will snuff out all your happy memories until there is nothing but despair. Say the word Hana." Hana was sobbing openly now without restraint, her voice sore and breaking with overuse. Tears and snot stained her face as she kicked and screamed in vain. "Say the word and I'll give her back to you."

" _Encore!"_ she shouted at him in hysteria, the irony of the word wasn't lost on him. She sat like a forcibly captive audience begging for the show to be over. "Encore! Encore! Encore! Encore!"

Satisfied, his shadows dissipated. Even with her memories restored, she still muttered the word over and over again like a scratched and broken record.

"I hope you enjoyed the city. The cherry blossoms make for a beautiful sight." He turned his back as Hana let out a broken wail. Black Echo was leaning against the table with an unreadable expression. Naoya paused before him, giving the older man a thoughtful look. "You disapprove?"

"It doesn't matter what I think," he replied neutrally, shifting upright, "you will do the merciful thing and erase her memories of this experience when we return to the waking world."

"What…?" he was cut off as the world around him melted away and he found himself once again in the lecture hall.

Everyone was still seated as if the past twenty minutes never happened. Those around him were staring off in the distance, void of any sort of expression or reaction to what was going on around them. Naoya realized he wasn't the only one aware of his surroundings as Aria shot up from her seat, wildly looking around her and nearly tripping over the boy seated next to her. On the stage stood the six UA staff members. Black Echo was still wearing that stony expression and Naoya felt as if the blindfolded man's gaze was burning into him despite not being able to see his eyes. Akira, on the other hand, was wearing his cat who ate the canary smile.

"I would like to congratulate the six of you for being accepted into our program. Unfortunately, Delphi is keeping your peers occupied at the moment so they are unable to properly congratulate you. Now, I'm sure you're curious about the final standings, so let us reveal them to you."

Up on the screen, six names flashed in bold, black letters.

 **1st - Hanamiya Suzuno: 205**

 **2nd - Saito Naoya: 200**

 **3rd - Watanabe Jai: 198**

 **4th - Kiyoraka Akia: 192**

 **5th - Kazuharu Aria: 190.5**

 **6th - Yukimura Hiroyuki: 186.5**

"The final placements," Akira reiterated, "I suppose I should tell you all what being accepted into the Special Activities Department entails. After collaborating with the Agency and after much consideration, UA has decided to establish a new department, the Special Activities Department. Our job is to train the six of you to be part of the next generation of secret agents, spies, and intelligence operatives working for the Special Activities Division under the Agency of National Intelligence. The six of us that stand before you are or have been agents and operatives ourselves."

Naoya couldn't see the reactions of the others as they were scattered throughout the lecture hall, but he found himself initially shocked by the news. However, the more he thought about the possibilities, the more it made sense. It was a risky venture for a school like UA with all its recognition and media coverage and yet, it would allow the agents valuable resources and the opportunity to hide in plain sight. Like the other departments of UA, this department would easily be overshadowed by the likes of the Hero Department, effectively hiding it from the prying eyes of the public and villains looking to target future heroes.

"Let me also explain the exams and our grading process. The first exam required you to steal eggs while keeping your own egg safe. Your team's egg represents the sensitive information and packages you will possibly have to carry in the future. It cannot be roughly handled nor can you allow it to get into the wrong hands. Your objective to steal other eggs is what we mostly graded on. Our grading criteria mimics that of the curriculum of this department. For the first exam, we graded on combat skills, stealth and espionage, strategy and critical thinking, and of course, how well you were able to complete the objective.

"The second exam tested you on your investigation and interrogation skills and how well you could follow orders, even those you may not have necessarily agreed with. Those who abandoned the exam due to personal feelings were disqualified from our final roster altogether. If every agent in the field abandoned their missions, there would be nobody left to fight the battles even heroes can't face. As agents, our job is to follow orders, not question them. We do not care about the morality of our means, we care about the morality of our ends, and we will do whatever means necessary to secure a better future for society as a whole.

"While we fight for the side of good, we couldn't be any more different than our counterparts. Heroes fight the big name villains and boost public morale. The police force deals with petty miscreants. We, on the other hand, handle organized crime, the underworld, and the criminals who profit off the suffering of others. Hitmen, drug and weapons trafficking, serial murderers - we stay in the shadows so we can fight the evils that lurk in the shadows. I have to warn you, it is not a glamorous job like that of heroes with their fame and riches or as satisfying to your conscious as that of the police force, and this is a truth you will need to accept should you choose to continue with our program.

"It is also important to inform you that your position here and the purpose of this department has to remain a secret, even among your close friends and family. Depending on your field and involvement with the Secret Service, your position as an agent may have to remain a secret for the rest of your life. While we will be telling your peers and the public that this department will be used to hone your quirks to better suit your talents and future careers innovatively and creatively, everything you learn here has to remain secret, lest you put your loved ones and fellow classmates in danger. There are many criminals who would like to see agents snuffed out.

"We fight for the betterment of society, we sacrifice ourselves so that others may have a chance at happiness, we reject a life of fame and fortune and any opportunity for our deeds to be recognized by the world, and we lie about who we are to even the people we love in order to protect them. If you believe that this program and profession is not for you, you are free to withdraw. Your position will be given to the next ranked student and the information you just received will have to remain a secret. Knowing all the drawbacks, do any of you wish to continue?" Akira prompted.

Aria's hand immediately shot up in the air, a determined look across her face. "I wish to continue with the program."

Suzuno, who sat with his arms folded across his chest and an imperious expression, followed suit with a finality to his words. "I too will stay with the Special Activities Department."

One by one, the rest followed suit. The only reluctant one seemed to be Hiroyuki who was the last to claim his position, but he eventually conceded as well.

Akira's Cheshire grin couldn't seem to get any wider or sharper. "Then it's settled. I am honored to pronounce the six of you as UA's first ever agents in training." He crossed his hand over his heart and bowed, much like an actor thanking his audience for their time.

It felt almost foreboding, how they were being merrily congratulated as they sat in a sea of dead-eyed youths.

* * *

 **The Overture: The Third Movement**

Venus had his head propped on his hand as he watched the first exam recap footage with amusement. He was a young man, not much older than the new recruits, with long ashen blonde hair that fell to his waist and caught the light like starlight and deep blue eyes that was reminiscent of a night sky. True to his name, the boy had a feminine and devastating beauty and grace about him. Fitting for Madame Rouge's infamous protégé. Opposite him sat his companion of six months, Bloodhound, an American girl that Aura had picked up when he caught her snooping in dangerous places on numerous occasions.

"You're sure in a good mood," she hummed thoughtfully in English as they watched Aria smash the mirrored floor with a hammer, effectively keeping a barefoot Naoya away as he stepped on the resulting shards.

 **\- / -**

 **Name: Nicole Stein**

 **Codename: Bloodhound**

 **Age: 18**

 **Quirk: Bloodhound**

 **Her quirk gives her enhanced strength and resiliency and a heightened sense of smell. She is able to remember the scents of others, pinpoint a person or object's location, breakdown individual components of any substance, and smell the emotions of the people around her.**

 **\- / -**

"Oh come on, it's not like you're not finding this kind of funny too," he teased in perfect English with a secret conspiratory grin, "they're like infants squabbling over a toy. Imagine the mess they'd make if they were all together. Hiroyuki's speed would be counteracted by Akia's soap, Akia's soap would have screwed everyone over including herself if Jai had enough time to hack into the sprinkler system, and Hiroyuki could probably break almost anything that Suzuno kid makes. Naoya's quirk is also a potential game ender if he can get a hold of his opponent."

She tilted her head curiously, blonde waves falling over her shoulder as she did so, and she matched his grin. "And what do you think of the new recruits?"

"Call me bias, but I think Aria should have placed higher. Sure none of the groups she ran into had eggs, but she took down three three-man teams single-handedly with far more grace and precision than the others."

"And our first place winner?"

He rolled his eyes, eliciting a laugh from Bloodhound. "It doesn't take an empath to know he's annoyingly arrogant."

 **\- / -**

 **Codename: Venus**

 **Age: 18**

 **Quirk: Heartstrings**

 **Venus has the ability to read the emotions of the people around him as well as manipulate them to both subtle and drastic measures to suit his needs.**

 **\- / -**

"Want to switch dorms?" he asked, batting his lashes playfully, "I can easily pass for a girl and what they don't know won't hurt them. I can be the TA for the girls and you can be the TA for the boys. I don't think I can stand any of them."

"Are you calling me manly, Venus?" she gasped in mock offense.

"You? Never. You just have a higher tolerance for bullshit than I do."

She laughed but shook her head. "I'm afraid you're stuck with your lot. I'm sure it won't be that bad. You never know, it could just be the stress of the exams getting to them."

"Nicole you are too good. Please stay the way you are."

"Venus, what did I say about codenames?" Madame Rouge asked with a saccharine smile from the doorway. Her sudden presence caused Bloodhound to jump and place a hand on her beating heart.

"Never call a colleague by anything other than their codename," Venus recited monotonously, stifling a groan.

"God, how do you sneak up on people like that Madame R?"

"Ballet," both Madame Rouge and Venus answered with a shrug.

"Bloodhound, if your guard was up, you would have been able to smell us coming a mile away," Aura reprimanded impassively as he too entered the room. Bloodhound at least had the decency to look a little contrite before Venus mimicked the older man's grouchy frown and elicited a poorly covered laugh from Bloodhound and a disapproving glare from Aura.

The other agents filed into the meeting room to review the newest recruits. The last to enter was Akira who took a seat at the head of the table and placed a stack of files on the table.

"Now before we start, did any of our new students break protocol?" Akira asked.

Madame Rouge cleared her throat to speak. "All teams reported negative. They've kept the purpose of the department a secret so far."

"Good, good. I'd hate to have to work with less than six students and go through damage control this early in the game. I'm sure anyone who leaked information wouldn't have liked it any better," Akira said lightly despite the underlying threat to his words, "well then, let us proceed as planned.

"First we have our start student, Hanamiya Suzuno. A son of a notably wealthy businessman and philanthropist with political connections. I'm sure you're all familiar with Hanamiya Ryu. He helped to fund this department after all. Suzuno is a bit sheltered, having been hidden away at his family's estate for most of his life, but he certainly has potential for combat, as seen in the first exam, as well as strategy. His exam scores in the past have always been exceedingly high for his age group, rivaling even the top scores in the nation. He scored high in combat, strategy, and interrogation and his lowest was stealth and espionage. He is here by my recommended invite.

"Our second place student is Saito Naoya. He has a fairly average background with a spotless record. If it weren't for Black Echo recruiting him after he failed the Hero Department's entrance exam, he would have flown completely under the radar. However, I think he's proven with these exams that he's more than what he seems. With a quirk like that, it's good that we can sway him to our side. He scored high in strategy and interrogation and scored low in stealth and espionage as well as combat. He is here by Black Echo's invite.

"Third is Watanabe Jai. Similar to Naoya, she's had a pretty unremarkable history, save for a recent attempt to hack UA's high security mainframe out of boredom… and coming incredibly close to succeeding. Based off a CAT scan of her brain as a child, her brain and eyes are completely mechanical. This of course impairs her emotions and social interactions from what our spies have gathered from her, which is a double-edged sword. While emotions won't cloud her judgement, she will surely fail at espionage, so perhaps not a potential field spy. Her highest scores were investigation and interrogation while her lowest were combat and stealth and espionage particularly due to the fact she didn't interact with other participants in the first exam. She's here by Aura's recommendation.

"Our next student is Kiyoraka Akia. She's the daughter of a clerk at a popular hero agency. You're all familiar with Best Jeanist. Akia was scouted by Madame Rouge at a gala they both attended hosted by the hero agency when the girl's quick thinking stopped a villain from terrorizing and harming the partygoers. She scored high in strategy and combat and low in interrogation. She probably could have placed second or third if she didn't refuse to torture her fellow examinee, though at least she didn't walk out.

"Kazuharu Aria. She was also scouted by Madame Rouge due to her background in martial arts, gymnastics, and a knowledge of multiple languages. Similar to Suzuno, she was sheltered most of her life especially with her private education. She scored high in stealth and espionage and combat and low in interrogation and investigation.

"Lastly, we have Yukimura Hiroyuki." Ace scoffed at the name and Aura's frown somehow grew deeper. "You don't approve?"

"Like hell I don't approve!" Ace fired back heatedly, to which Black Echo placed a hand on his shoulder to reel him back.

"Ace…"

The younger man shrugged off his hand with a scowl. "No, I'm allowed to be angry about this!"

"I agree," Aura stated darkly, "I'm not here to babysit Chariot's dog with attachment issues. It's like he's mocking our program."

"Shit. We were so close to shipping him back to his owner too," Ace muttered, "fucking _sixth_ place."

"Well you're all familiar with his background. It's quite a colorful one after all," Akira continued unperturbed, "Hiroyuki scored high in combat and interrogation and low in stealth and espionage, strategy, and investigation. He's here by Chariot's recommendation."

"At least he's house broken," Aura scoffed as he stood abruptly. "I can't tell what's worse. Chariot's dog or Rouge's charity case."

Venus winced and Rouge glowered at the man's retreating back.

"It's been quite the eventful day hasn't it?"

"Oh cut the crap, Akira," Ace snapped before standing up as well, "whatever, I'm heading home." He waited for Black Echo to rise as well before the pair left together, Echo at least giving Akira an apologetic nod of acknowledgment before stepping out.

When no one else moved to leave, Akira's smile dropped. "Are all the preparations made?"

"The arrangements have already been made. I'm only waiting for your orders," Madame Rouge replied dutifully.

"Excellent. Let us move forward with our plans then. I'm sure our six new recruits will certainly surprise us."

"If they can get through the program," Delphi muttered from her stony silence.

And just like that, his sharpened smile returned.

* * *

 **A/N: This was a MONSTER to complete and a little more fast paced than I would have liked. I was thinking about separating this into two chapters, but I just wanted to get the entrance exams out of the way. There were other scenes I wanted to include in the exams, especially the first one, to extend it. I would've liked to see Jai use more of the systems available like camera monitoring and the sprinkler system or Aria kicking butt while fruitlessly looking for a team with eggs, but this chapter would have been way longer than what I would have liked. This chapter is already longer than what I thought it was going to be, but hopefully the next chapters will be shorter and be updated in a more timely manner (though I'm a dirty liar and I make no promises for the next chapter since I have a project for school and will be out of the country for spring break pretty soon). This chapter in particular was really Naoya-heavy, but I felt like his background and character really fit with this situation. Don't worry, I'll try to give everyone their shining moments as well as we move forward. Well anyway, let's get to the final list (the most important part).**

 **Class 1-L**

 **Hanamiya Suzuno (Glass)**

 **Saito Naoya (Memory)**

 **Watanabe Jai (Blue Jay)**

 **Kiyoraka Akia (Bubble)**

 **Kazuharu Aria (Talon)**

 **Yukimura Hiroyuki (Yuki)**

 **TAs**

 **Nicole/Nicoru Stein (Bloodhound)**

 **Ikeda Momori (Venus)**

 **Class 1-A**

 **Namikawa Oboru (Monsoon)**

 **Kemuri Mirai (Smoke)**

 **Daichi Kuroo (Devil)**

 **Sugiyama Ginko (Ozaki)**

 **I've accepted some villains as well, but I'm keeping that a secret for now.**

* * *

 **1\. Of course, what did you think of the first real chapter? Give me feedback to improve!**

 **2\. Out of the new recruits, who would you like to see more of?**

 **3\. Are there any characters that didn't make the roster that you would like to see again? The one with the most votes will make appearances later! (Hana, Yumiko, Bara, Ren, etc.)**

 **4\. With more scenes with our teachers, who do you want as a home room teacher? I'm still taking votes! I think Madame Rouge is currently in the lead.**

 **If you have any questions about your OCs, feel free to PM me! I don't bite.**


	4. Dance of the Sleeping Beauty

_There is no greater bliss than Morpheus' domain_

 _But to see, to truly wake_

 _One can never be the same._

 **Dance of the Sleeping Beauty: The Awakening to a New World**

* * *

Aria drifted into the world of the waking the same way she always did, slowly and to the morning light. Over the years, it became a peaceful and familiar routine. The difference now, however, was that her bedroom walls were a muted white and not the soft pastel green she had grown up with, the bed was stiff and not her own, and the orientation of the room was all wrong and disorienting. She didn't have a schedule that was planned down to the minute and her mother wouldn't be just beyond the door with her warm smiles that contrasted her crushing and suffocating expectations.

' _That's right,'_ Aria thought to herself as she sat up groggily and rubbed her eyes, ' _I'm not at home anymore.'_

And with that thought it was as if a weight had been lifted off her chest.

Her clock read five-thirty and her first day of class didn't start until eight, but she figured she might as well get up now. Her morning routine was done by muscle memory with the same clinical-like grace and detachment a mortician would use to prepare a body. Bathroom, brush teeth, wash face, comb hair, dress for the day. However, the monotony of her routine faltered when she opened her closet door and saw the neatly pressed UA uniform waiting innocently for her. She noted how it wasn't a flattering color or cut and definitely different from the pretty pastels and feminine designs she was used to, but she didn't dislike it. It was different. It was new. She found herself relishing in even the small, mundane changes to her life now that she was officially a student at UA. Smoothing down her thick brown hair and smiling in the mirror one last time, she was finally satisfied in her appearance.

When Aria stepped out of her room it was just past six o'clock and she found that all the other dorm rooms of her classmates were decidedly shut, though some shuffling could be heard. They probably just got up so she didn't bother to wait for them before going to get breakfast. Aria always had been an early riser. After so many years of strict morning alarms and curfews, it was practically ingrained into her mental alarm clock to be early to bed and early to rise, not that she minded now. Despite loving to be surrounded by excitement, the morning was always her own.

However, she wasn't the only morning bird it seemed. As she passed through the classroom halls on her way to the cafeteria, she heard faint music drifting from one of the rooms. Aria paused at the door, straining to listen but she couldn't hear anything other than the song of an orchestral score. It was an aggressive but beautiful melody with deep tones and crescendoing strings but she couldn't quite place it. Curiosity getting the better of her, she pushed the door open. A girl, perhaps only a few years older than herself, was dancing en pointe to the music drifting through the room. Aria was surprised that despite the jumps and rapid footwork, the girl hardly made a sound with every landed jump and step sequence. She made dancing on her toes and pushing her body's limits in flexibility look both effortless and graceful and yet just as powerful as the storming arrangement. As a gymnast herself, Aria could tell this was a skill that took years of blood, sweat, and tears. However, she didn't need to be a gymnast to know that this girl seemed out of place in this particular department building. The song came to a close then and the girl let her body fall into an impossible back arch before meeting Aria's eyes and winking knowingly.

She started and blushed at being caught openly gawking. "I'm very sorry for bothering you!"

The older girl straightened and it was only then that Aria could fully appreciate her beauty. She was absolutely stunning to say the least and despite the girl's evident perspiration and fly-away hairs from her ponytail, Aria found herself quite self-conscious in that moment. She almost felt underdressed in the other girl's presence.

"Oh you weren't interrupting anything. It's nice to meet you!" the stranger greeted excitedly, stepping up to meet her, "you must be Aria. My name's Venus, I'm one of the TA's."

"V-Venus?" Aria managed to utter, trying to regain her bearings.

"It's a code name. You guys will probably all go by a code name as well since we're all agents in training."

It sure seemed like the name fit her. Remembering her manners, Aria bowed her head to her elder. "It's nice to meet you Venus. Please take care of me."

She laughed then, putting her hands on her hips playfully. "Oh no need to be so formal! I really look forward to working with you. I was really impressed by your performance during the entrance exam and I have a feeling you and I are going to be the best of friends. Don't worry," Venus said with a wink, "I'll teach you all the tricks of the trade."

"I hope you're not already picking favorites, Venus," Madame Rouge commented humorously from the doorway, causing Aria to jump at the teacher's sudden appearance.

"I can't help but be bias towards another stealth and espionage hopeful," Venus replied with a readied pout, "it's an art and there's too few of us invested in it."

The red-haired woman shook her head with an exasperated smile before turning to the brunette. "You're an early riser it seems. Good. I like to see punctuality in my students. It's a good indicator of hard work and discipline." She crossed the room then and affectionately smoothed Venus's stray hairs back. "I see you've met my star pupil. Venus has been studying under my tutelage for over ten years. Watch him. Learn from him. He'll one day be one of the best, perhaps even better than me."

 _Excuse me, 'he?'_ It was then Aria noticed Venus's Adam's apple.

As if her face said it all, both Madame Rouge and Venus laughed, though in that moment, Aria couldn't help notice the difference between the two despite their evident closeness. Rouge's laugh was more of a subdued hum, hidden by an elegantly gloved hand while Venus's laugh was unrestrained and colorful as mirthful tears came to his eyes.

"I'm sorry," _he_ said, wiping a tear from his eye, "that was my fault. My code name can be a little misleading."

"It's alright," Aria replied with a humorous smile of her own, "though I'm sure your hair doesn't help."

He sent her another wink, twirling a strand of his long hair coyly. "The secret isn't rinse, lather, then repeat. It's just a really good conditioner." When Madame Rouge cleared her throat, he straightened. "Right. Well the mess hall should be just about to open. I was going to meet the other TA there if you'd like to join us? I can introduce you two. It'd be like a nice bonding session before the Madame runs the six of you into the ground."

"What?"

"Nothing," he quickly said and practically pulled her out of the room behind him. "C'mon let's go! We usually like to beat the rush so we can get good seats." Aria could only manage a quick nod before being swept away by the whirlwind that was Venus.

While the Special Activities Department had a separate dorm and classroom wing, the entirety of UA shared a cafeteria. Despite the numerous students attending, the Grand Mess Hall wasn't too busy, just as Venus said, since it had just opened. Only the other early birds like Venus and herself milled about. As they approached the line, a foreign girl with blonde wavy hair noticed them and waved. Unlike Aria and the other students, Venus and the girl wore athletic clothing. Side by side, they were quite the sight and certainly a formidable pair, each with their own sort of compelling presence. Even some of the other UA students couldn't help but glance curiously at the duo. Again, Aria couldn't help but feel underdressed for the occasion despite being the only one appropriately dressed for the situation.

"Hi, I'm Bloodhound," the girl greeted warmly in a slightly accented tone and offered her hand, "I think you're the first student of class 1-L that I've met in person so far. I'll be your other TA for this year so if you have any questions, concerns, or just want free snacks, definitely feel free to pop by my dorm room anytime."

Aria gave a demure smile and shook her hand. "It's a pleasure. I'm Aria." She then switched from Japanese to English, having pinpointed the girl's accent as American. "We can also speak in English if that's easier for you."

Bloodhound's eyes lit up at the familiar words. "Oh thank god. It's nice to speak in my native language once in a while," the older girl replied in English.

Aria smiled brightly at her enthusiasm. "I like to practice my English whenever I can so it's a win-win situation."

"Don't let the bosses find out though," Venus chipped in humorously, "They've been drilling you with Japanese ever since you got here."

"You're all too amused by this."

"And you're all too relieved by this," he teased back.

The conversation lulled as the reached Lunch-Rush's counter and collected their trays. Aria had grown so used to her mother regulating her diet and what foods she was allowed to consume that she was nearly giddy when presented with so many options. For the first time in what felt like years, Aria selected what she wanted to eat.

They settled down at a quiet table by the window, giving them a view of blooming sakura trees as the sun bled through the horizon. Seated further away from the other students, the cafeteria fell into a quiet hum in the background as they began to eat. The peace was broken, however, when Bloodhound fumbled her chopsticks.

"Shit," the older girl cursed under her breath, barely managing to catch her rogue chopstick before it fell on the ground.

"You can learn a language in six months but still can't figure out how to use chopsticks?" Venus teased, using his pair with elegant ease as if to further taunt her.

"I've been studying Japanese for nearly a year now, thank you, but I'll have you know we didn't have Chinese or Japanese restaurants anywhere near where I grew up. How can you pick up things so easily with only two sticks?"

Aria laughed with Venus this time. "Here let me help. The easiest way is to have the bottom one rest in the crook of your thumb and hold the other like you would hold a pencil."

"Okay…" the blonde girl said as she tested out the new technique, "this way isn't as hard. Geez Venus, why didn't you just teach me that way? It was so much easier than the cross method!"

"Because it's funnier to see you struggle," he replied with an innocent smile, resulting in Bloodhound flinging a piece of rice at his cheek with her newfound chopstick skills.

"Oh hush you," she mock scolded Venus before turning back to Aria, "anyway, let's get down to business. You, my friend, have quite an interesting quirk, being able to harden the keratin in your body."

"Ah, you really think so?" Aria asked skeptically and turning slightly pink from the praise, "I personally thought it paled in comparison to the others I've seen so far. I only placed fifth after all."

She shrugged. "Sure it's not as eye catching as glass or memory altering-"

"Memory altering-?"

"-but it's because it's useful and unassuming that it's so unique! Tell me, have you considered using your hair as a lock pick or even a needle? It'd be the perfect weapon. Fine, thin, and nearly untraceable. There's so many possibilities!"

"Blood, your inner nerd is showing," Venus sing-songed.

"You know I can't help it. I'm just excited for classes to start."

"Even for Rouge's lesson?"

The girl's face fell at that and Aria looked between the two in confusion.

"Madame Rouge's lesson for today?" Aria asked curiously.

"Yep," Bloodhound confirmed with a groan, "I retract my statement. I'm not ready for today."

"Don't you remember? She asked us to join in on today's lesson. You know what that means."

"Ya, you show off," she grumbled, "maybe if I practice beforehand, she'll have mercy on me."

"We can practice while they go through orientation," Venus agreed and then turned to Aria, "don't worry too much about it. Madame Rouge is a slave driver but she's one of the best in her field. I'm sure you'll blow the rest of your class out of the water with today's lesson anyway. Tell you what, if you ever need extra help, I'm always practicing ballet from four-thirty to six in the morning. You know where to find me." He gave her another cheeky wink and Bloodhound smacked his arm from across the table.

"Why ballet then? Is it a hobby of yours?" Aria asked curiously. The question had been sitting at the back of her head up until this point.

He shrugged, taking a bite of his apple. "It helps me center my skills. You can say it's both business and pleasure."

"I wonder if you'll offer the others the same level of assistance," Bloodhound commented offhandedly.

Venus rolled his eyes dramatically. "Maybe if they're not as angsty as they were in the exams."

"Oh cut them some slack. It was a tough exam."

"If I remember correctly, you were a feisty little pup when Aura brought you in too."

"Oh shove it, Cupid."

Aria giggled and daintily sipped her tea as Venus and Bloodhound continued to exchange witty banter. Though reserved in nature, she didn't mind the chaos around her. Rather, she found comfort in it and it was a welcomed change to the long, lonely days she had grown so used to. Words and laughter filled the void where silence would have been, and she felt herself smile into her cup as she allowed herself to soak in the moment and enjoy it.

Yes, she certainly didn't mind these new changes to her life at all.

* * *

After breakfast and exchanging cell phone numbers, Bloodhound and Venus waved farewell after walking Aria to her class. Before she could slide open the door though, she noticed a fellow classmate coming from the opposite direction. It was a boy with wavy, almost unruly blonde hair and cold blue eyes. Like Venus, the boy also had pretty and androgynous features with a slender build, though perhaps not to the point of mistaking him as a girl. Aria was courteous enough to offer a polite smile, but he didn't return the favor. Rather a pouty frown marred his features.

"Who are they?" he asked, though it sounded more like a demand, as he nodded towards the direction of the retreating TA's.

"The teaching assistants," Aria replied pleasantly despite his brusque tone, sliding the classroom door open and stepping through the threshold, "they are also agents in training."

He scoffed at their retreating backs. "They don't look like much."

"Perhaps they will surprise us then," she replied diplomatically as she claimed the fifth desk.

With only six of them in their class, there were six desks lined in a row. While she was never one to shy away from learning, there would be no hiding in the back row for anyone. As the boy settled in the first desk she realized in surprise that he was the highest scoring student at the entrance exam. She silently wondered what his quirk was and how he was able to score so high.

When he didn't bother to initiate conversation, Aria spoke again. "I'm Aria by the way. Kaz-"

"Kazuharu Aria. I know," he replied matter of factly, cutting her off, "Saito Naoya, 200 points. Watanabe Jai, 198 points. Kiyoraka Akia, 192 points. Kazuharu Aria, 190.5 points. Yukimura Hiroyuki, 186.5 points. Seeing as you're in the fifth desk, I figured you were Kazuharu Aria."

Someone had memorized the score board then. "And you are?" she prompted graciously, unperturbed. His cool gaze slid over to her, sizing her up but his unimpressed expression showed he didn't view her as a threat.

Well she would just have to prove him wrong, wouldn't she?

"Hanamiya Suzuno."

"It's nice to meet you, Suzuno. I hope we can learn a lot from each other in the future."

Before he could give a biting retort, the door slid open revealing the rest of their classmates. They filed in one by one. A pale albino boy with red eyes claimed the second seat and a tanned girl sporting short electric blue hair, a single horn poking out of the right side of her head, and an expression void of emotion took the third. Lastly, Aria's previous teammate, Akia, and a white-haired boy with yellow feline eyes trudged through the door. The last two didn't seem to be morning people if their stifled yawns and puffy eyes said anything about it. Seeing as the two sandwiched her and didn't seem to be up for conversation, Aria was resigned to wait until class began in silence. It seemed none of them were conversationalists as no one made a move to initiate contact. Compared to her current company, she found herself already missing the warm and friendly exuberance of Venus and Bloodhound.

Five minutes till eight, Madame Rouge entered the room, her heels clicking with each step. In those shoes, Aria silently wondered how she hadn't heard her approach this morning in the practice room. The older woman straightened her neatly pressed black blazer jacket as she stood at the front of the room and assessed each of her students with an unrevealing smile.

 **—/—**

 **Code name: Madame Rouge**

 **Age: 40**

 **Quirk: Deadly Nightshade**

 **Madame Rouge is able to produce potent and deadly poisons, with traces being found in every secretion and fluid in her body.**

 **—/—**

"Good morning. I'm pleased to welcome you to UA as the first students of class 1-L and the Special Activities Department. I hope you all had an easy time moving into the dormitories over the weekend. I am Madame Rouge. I'll be both your homeroom teacher and your Stealth and Espionage instructor as well. I look forward to working with all of you and seeing you grow as individuals and as agents through our program," she started pleasantly, "before we start, I'd like you all to introduce yourselves and state what drives you to be an agent. Being introduced to the world of spies and agents can be incredibly daunting and overwhelming, so I would like to know why each of you voluntarily agreed to join the program."

Madame Rouge looked expectantly at Suzuno who matched her stare almost challengingly. "My name is Hanamiya Suzuno. To be blunt, I joined this program not to realize some kind of childhood dream of being a hero or saving the day. I'm not here to save others," he said matter of factly, surprising Aria.

"It's a different motivation but not entirely unheard of. So why are you here then, Suzuno?"

"I'm here to prove that I'm the best," he said simply.

' _He sure is modest…'_

Rouge seemed to assess him in a new light with a calculating glint in her eye. She didn't lose her smile though and simply nodded in return. "Quite the ambitious one then. It's an admirable but a very difficult goal, and I must give you full disclosure if that is your true motivation. You may have scored the highest on the entrance exam but your classmates can easily surpass you at this point if you don't stay ahead. They are not that far behind you after all and the exams aren't the most accurate measure of how well you'll actually do in the field. You six are also not the only agents we are training. We have trainees who have been studying under agents since childhood. If you want to be the best, I hope you're ready to work for it."

They let that bit of information sink in. Suzuno still held that stubborn look on his face but Aria could tell the cogs were turning in his head. She was more curious about the other agents they were training. Why weren't they being trained together? Were there more agents like Venus who studied under impressive agents like Madame Rouge? How could they measure up?

The albino boy was next. Aria particularly remembered him from the entrance exam though she was still unsure what his quirk was. From what little she had seen, he seemed to be the mastermind behind his team's success and perhaps his brain was the reason why he made it this far.

"Saito Naoya," he said with a disarming smile, "and my goal by being here is to better society as a whole."

"Based on your exam, I'm sure you're willing to do whatever it takes," Rouge commented neutrally.

He didn't miss a beat. "Whatever means necessary."

"I'll keep that in mind then." Teacher and student seemed to have a silent conversation before Rouge turned to Jai.

With that, the blue-haired girl spoke. "My name is Watanabe Jai. I joined this program to challenge myself and learn to use my abilities to the fullest. If we're being honest though, it was more or less because I was bored," she said with an incredibly straight face.

"I admire your honesty, Jai," Madame Rouge encouraged brightly, "your reason isn't any better or worse than the others. Boredom and a want to fulfill one's full potential is actually a very common reason people join the Secret Service, especially intelligent individuals. Your Investigation instructor, Aura, would share the same sentiment."

"I'm Kiyoraka Akia," the blue and pink haired girl introduced next, "I want to make a difference and I believe becoming an agent will help me achieve this."

"Oh? Why not a hero then? I'm sure you would have done well in the Hero Department's entrance exam," Madame Rouge commented.

"Quite frankly, I don't think heroes are able to make that difference."

If the past introductions were surprising, Aria was completely shocked by Akia's response. She wondered what exactly made the girl so jaded towards heroes when the majority of the population adored them. She herself sympathized for them. Being a hero in a time of despair was a heavy burden to bear.

She didn't have much time to dwell on this as it was now her turn. "My name is Kazuharu Aria. I too want to make a difference, but I think it undermines heroes and even the police force to say that they don't make a difference. I myself would have become a police officer had I not been given this opportunity. Each are important in maintaining structure and safety for those who are unable to protect themselves. If we're on the same team, we should be working with them, not competing against them."

Rouge crossed her arms and gave her an approving smile. "That's an insightful perspective, Aria. It is important to acknowledge all roles people play no matter how big or small and never take anything for granted." After Rouge's comment, Akia's gaze slid over to hers. The girl's expression was unreadable but there was definitely tension behind her stare. Aria herself wasn't sure what to make of it.

Last to go was the white-haired boy with the silver dog ears and tail. He had been lazily slumped over his desk the entire time and seemed content in this position even though it was his turn. While Akia at least had the dignity to try to be presentable despite her tiredness, he seemed to simply not care.

"The name's Yukimura Hiroyuki and I'm here by recommendation. I continue to be here because I want to make a certain someone happy," he said with a shrug.

"I figured as much. Well I hope you'll find some benefit in this program," Madame Rouge sighed wearily, "Let me start off by telling you more about agents of the Secret Service then. The classes we teach are to elevate you as an individual holistically, sharpening your strengths and weaknesses so you can both improve your skills and protect your shortcomings from being used against you. Perhaps after you graduate, you will go on to specialize in a field of your choice. My own specialty area is stealth and espionage. Some of you may excel in my lessons, some of you may fail, and that's okay. I don't expect anyone to be stealth and espionage prodigies, but I do expect hard work.

"We also have departments and rankings among agents. After graduation, some of you may never step foot in the field other than to review a crime scene. This is fairly typical of our analysts, criminal profilers, strategizers, gadget engineers, and investigative teams - jobs within our Department of Intelligence. Most other agents are those who are often out in the field and a part of the Department of Operations. There's more action involved in this department, but also more danger. The higher rank you are, the higher the risks and danger involved on the missions that are assigned to you.

"As agents in training, you are all considered A ranked agents. I will warn you now that some never make it past being an A rank operative, meaning that there are many who never graduate from their program. The pass rates are very low due to the competitive nature and high expectations, and only one in fifty trainees become fully fledged agents. Statistically, the odds are not in your favor. B ranked agents are often new graduates or agents who prefer low-risk missions and not much will be asked or expected of you, but a level of competency and skill is still required. C ranked agents take our moderate-risk assignments and are required to make critical decisions and judgement calls should the time come. The majority of our agents fall into this category. D class agents are our specialists, those who have proven to excel in an area of their choice and are selected for missions according to their skill set. These individuals often have the most experience and will be placed on moderate to high-risk missions. Lastly, S class agents are those who take the most dangerous and highest-risk missions. They have to excel in many areas and pass several tests before being deemed fit for this role within good reason. The average life expectancy is three years after being named an S class operative. The Secret Service asks a lot of these agents. They are expected to follow orders without question, kill without question, and die without question.

"To assuage any worries you may have about your education here at UA, I will give you an idea of where our staff sits in these rankings. Aura will be your Investigation instructor. He is a D ranked agent with a specialty in investigation in the Department of Intelligence and one of the best in his field. Delphi, your Personal Psychology instructor, is a C ranked agent in the Department of Intelligence who is currently working on her specialty area to become a D ranked agent. You all have briefly met your combat instructor, Ace, already. Despite his young age, he is our combat and weapons specialist and a D ranked agent in the Department of Operations. He's one of the best in his field as well, teaching new grads and surpassing veterans, and he does all of this without relying on a quirk. Akira is both the head of the Special Activities Department here at UA as well as your Strategy teacher. Akira is a D class operative in the Department of Intelligence, but what's unique about his case is that Akira also doubled as a field agent, though he is now retired. Lastly, your Interrogation instructor, Black Echo, and I are the only S class agents on the staff. However, we are both now retired from the field."

"Have you ever killed anyone?" Jai asked abruptly with mild curiosity and skepticism coloring her mostly bored expression.

Madame Rouge smiled gracefully despite the jarring question and folded her hands neatly together. "The program I was in was a bit different than the one you're in now. My class was trained specifically to become S class agents. I killed my first man when I was younger than the six of you and had over eighty kills by the time I graduated my program at seventeen." That seemed to peak everyone's interest quickly.

"And how come you're not using that program for us now?" Suzuno asked.

"Children," she said with a soft smile, "always so eager to grow up. There's hardly any rush. Besides, a kill count is nothing to be proud of. There's no honor in murder, even if it's the murder of a villain. There are many reasons why people become agents; a sense of usefulness, a want to protect others, self-sacrifice, circumstance, guilt, pride, knowledge, power. The list goes on. The Secret Service doesn't care about your motives on becoming an agent, they care about results. However, I care about your motives and it is through me that you need to pass. I never want any of you to become agents for a free license to kill. If that is your motive, you are no better than a villain."

"Isn't that contradictory though?" Suzuno continued to challenge, "by your definition are you, a murderer, a villain?"

"Agents fight for the side of good. It doesn't mean that we are good. Sometimes, we have to do wicked things in order to protect others from greater evils," she replied with a distant look. She straightened from her somber mood and offered a smile. "But enough of that. I'm sure you're all excited for your first lesson." Hitting a button, six cases emerged from the wall. "These will be your uniforms for today. You'll have the opportunity to change before your next class, but these uniforms are necessary to succeed in my lessons. If you are not properly dressed, you will not be allowed to participate. If you fail my course or any course for that matter, you will be dismissed from the program. Now chop chop! We will be meeting in Room B in fifteen minutes."

One by one, they retrieved the case with their number on it and filed out of the room. It wasn't until after Aria opened the case in the girl's changing room that she heard Suzuno sputtering shout from the boy's changing room across the hall. Inside her case was a black leotard, light pink tights, and pink ballet slippers. Glancing around her, Akia was frowning at her own black skirted leotard, black tights, and slippers and Jai had already changed into the form-fitting black leotard and leggings she was issued.

"This is a joke, right?" Akia muttered aloud.

"Actually, one of the TAs was practicing ballet this morning. I don't think this is a joke," Aria offered sheepishly.

Akia groaned but started changing quickly since they only had fifteen minutes to change and get to the practice room. As she changed, Aria silently wondered what exactly was in store for them. Venus and Bloodhound's previous reactions to Rouge's course weren't necessarily a comforting sentiment. With a sigh, she placed her uniform in a locker and headed out with the others. Guess there's only one way for her to find out.

* * *

Bloodhound couldn't help but stare at her counterpart as they practiced together. Venus moved effortlessly through the sequence, his movements having more fluidity and grace than she would ever have. He was mesmerizing, whether it was dancing or fighting, and she couldn't help but stare as there was always something she could learn from him. Ever since they first met six months ago when Aura had brought her in cold and soaking wet from the rain, Venus had always been there at her side to support her. He helped coax her back from a dark place and patiently guided her through the strange new world of secret agents. Through months of camaraderie and gruelling training together, it was only inevitable that she would be pulled into his gravity. Training with him, she could see why other agents called him a prodigy or the next Madame Rouge. He had a sort of charismatic pull that charmed those around him and despite his bubbly and excitable personality, he was far more clever and dangerous than what people gave him credit for. Venus was everything she aspired to be… but he was also everything she feared.

She had many fears and Venus somehow seemed to encompass all of them. She had always been competitive in nature, always trying to stay ahead in fear of falling behind. Coming to Japan, she realized just how out of her depth she really was, and comparing herself to Venus always made her feel so small, so far behind this entity she would never be able to measure up to no matter how hard she tried. She feared her self-doubt and self-deprecating thoughts. She feared never being able to meet her goal, that all of her efforts would be for nought and she would only have a crime-ridden town and years away from her family to show for it. She feared to look into herself and acknowledge what she saw… but she also knew Venus saw what she refused to see in herself. Through her bottled-up emotions, he saw her vulnerabilities, her doubts, and her fears all covered up by a friendly and fun-loving mask. He saw through her as if all her insecurities were flayed raw before him and that scared her… but she could read his emotions too. Like her, he wore an exuberant mask full of charm and flirtation, but she could smell his loneliness, bitterness, and self-loathing just as much as he could sense the emotions she tried to hide so well. He was a prodigy and she envied and resented him for it at times, but then she would feel guilty because she knew he knew she was jealous and it wasn't his fault. And then he would feel guilty because he had what she wanted, but he couldn't help but hate it. He hated the praise, the lies he would tell through sugar-coated words and empty promises, the feeling of blood through his fingers and hair, the feeling of dirty hands on his hips and thighs. He hated being an agent, but no matter how hard he scrubbed at his skin, he couldn't wash it away from his identity. Through their emotions, they knew each other's deepest secrets. They never voiced it, but it was just as well said through knowing looks and comforting touches and gestures. After everything they knew about each other, how could they not be close? He knew she didn't want to talk about her emotions so he never pushed and she never asked him either. It was a dizzying dance they did, playing along with each other's outer personas while knowing the other's true feelings, but it was a dance they would continue to do until one of them would stumble and fall, dragging the other down with them.

"First position, second position, plie, third position, fourth position, arabesque," Venus listed off as the two of them moved through the motions. Bloodhound knew her movements were stiffer and choppier than Venus's, her struggle more evident, and her leg not as high nor as straight as his, but he never commented on it.

As they continued, the two of them could sense three entities coming towards the practice room. Bloodhound could smell that one of them was Aria, the cute little first year they had met earlier that morning with the dainty manners and impressive linguistic skills.

As they entered, Venus caught Aria's eye in the mirror and smiled. "Aria, hi!"

The two other girls, one with pink and blue pastel pigtails and the other with short blue hair, started as they glanced at Aria in question. The brunette who was now all decked out in her ballet gear smiled softly and waved. "Hello again, Venus." She immediately blushed as he turned around. Venus had humorously told her about the gender mix-up that morning and after breakfast, he had changed into form-fitting tights. Bloodhound coughed back a laugh as Aria realized that it was quite evident that he was not a girl now and Venus shared a conspiratory smirk with her. She smiled but rolled her eyes at him. He knew exactly what kind of effect he had on others.

"Did Madame R give you the agent spiel then?" Bloodhound asked as she straightened, quick to adjust to her outgoing personality once again. "Has she put the fear of god in you yet?"

"No?"

"She will by the end of this lesson," she bemoaned as she dragged herself over to her bag and took a swig of water. Wiping her mouth with the back of her arm, she turned back to the three girls. "You two must be Akia and Jai! I'm Bloodhound and that's Venus. We're your TAs for this year."

"It's a pleasure," Akia replied, curt and simple. Despite her colorful hair, the girl herself wasn't nearly as colorful in personality it seemed.

"Yu-up," Jai drawled, popping the 'p' boredly as she scanned the room in disinterest.

Venus suddenly stopped and stared oddly at Jai, crossing his arms and popping his hip as his brow furrowed. He opened his mouth and closed it a few times, but seemed to be at a loss for words. He looked at Jai as if she were some kind of puzzle or anomaly he couldn't figure out. He looked over to her for help. She quickly caught on to what he was thinking and sniffed twice before looking just as perplexed and giving him a shrug.

"What?" the blue-haired girl asked, "something on my face?"

"No, no," Venus assured though he still looked befuddled, "ignore us."

Bloodhound snapped her fingers as her face lit up. "Cybernetic brain," she declared to Venus whose eyes widened with recognition.

"Oh, yeah that's right," he said with a laugh. He circled around Jai as he assessed her. "Hmm, it takes a little prodding, but there's _something_ there. There's hardly anything to manipulate though."

"You're right," she agreed as she leaned into Jai's personal space to sniff her, though the younger girl didn't seem bothered by it, "it's just barely noticable and hidden under strong smelling chemicals."

"That's cute, but what's barely there?" Jai asked, seemingly unamused by their prodding.

"Your emotions," Venus answered with a closed-eye smile, "you see, Bloodhound and I can sense the emotions of others and we can just barely make out yours so of course, you're a bit of an enigma to us."

"What are your quirks anyway?" Aria asked curiously.

"Emotional empathy and manipulation," he replied with a wink. Aria felt him prod as a small feeling of warmth bloomed in her chest briefly.

"I basically have a good nose," Bloodhound said with a shrug, "I can smell people and their locations, breakdown components of substances, and smell emotions. It's pretty useful for investigation."

"Told you they'd beat us here," Hiroyuki interrupted as he threw open the door unceremoniously and lazily sauntered in followed by Suzuno and Naoya.

Like Venus, the boys wore tights that left little to the imagination, and while Hiroyuki seemed as though he couldn't care less, the other two boys' uncomfortable squirming was enough to show their disapproval of the new uniforms. It was the same kind of self-consciousness that Akia had, though perhaps for different reasons. While the others seemed fit enough, Akia had a soft and subtle roundness to her that she could no longer hide comfortably behind their school uniform.

With everyone wearing standard ballet slippers save for Venus who wore pointe shoes, Bloodhound couldn't help but notice how torn up Hiroyuki's shoes already were despite their new shine. It was then that claws curled out and into the wooden panels before curling back in.

"Careful with the floor there, Hiroyuki," Venus commented knowingly, "Madame Rouge wouldn't appreciate her wood floors being desecrated. It's not good for the shoes."

"Claws aren't good for shoes either," he hummed back with a lopsided smile.

Bloodhound didn't know a lot about Hiroyuki and there wasn't a ton she could glean off of the teachers or Venus, but they all seemed to know of him. Unlike the others, he wasn't recruited by one of the agents, but rather, he was recommended for this program by a higher-up. A higher-up Ace and Aura had a serious beef with if their last staff meeting had anything to say about it. Hiroyuki simply got the brunt of this vendetta by association. Despite being recommended though, he had barely made it in, placing sixth out of six available positions behind mostly untrained civilians at that. His exam results were rather lackluster as well when compared to those who shined. She couldn't help but note that while he excelled in combat, he seemed to fall short in every other category. To her, the tiger-dog boy was the biggest mystery out of the six first years.

"This is so stupid," Suzuno muttered, crossing his arms huffily and leaning against the mirrors, "I thought they were training us to become secret agents, not ballerinas."

"And secret agents you shall be," Madame Rouge replied brightly as she walked through the door decked in a black skirted leotard and tights, "if you're able to pass that is. I find that ballet is an important base for a field agent to have and it will help you in both stealth and combat."

"I don't need some prissy dancing to be able to fight."

Bloodhound and Venus who were at the barre exchanged a look before warily glancing at the red-headed instructor.

"Ah but being an agent is more than just fighting," she replied easily as she stretched at the barre beside them. "You can't always fight your enemy's head on, not like a hero. Sometimes, you might not even need to resort to physical violence if you do your job correctly. As an agent you'll need silence, elegance, precision, balance, flexibility, and coordination with your enemy's every move. Ballet is how you find your center for this. Now, everybody to the barre."

"This is absolutely ridiculous," Suzuno sassed back moodily, causing Rouge to straighten and peer over her shoulder at him.

"Ooh, he's gonna get it now," Bloodhound whispered to Venus.

"Maybe I'll get to do the honors," he chuckled back.

"Oh?" the Madame Rouge asked curiously, "you don't see its value then. Perhaps you would prefer a more hands-on demonstration." Venus knowingly moved as she motioned for him to step forward. "Class, this is Venus. He will be one of your TA's this year. Like all of you, he is training to become an agent, however, he's been training for far longer than any of you. He's been studying under my tutelage for over ten years now and can easily put even Boloshi ballerinas and danseurs his age to shame. Suzuno," she called expectantly causing the blonde, moody boy to step forward, "you will be combat sparring with Venus. First to be knocked down wins. I'll even offer you a deal. If you win, you may choose to sit out on these lessons. If you lose, you will continue them without further complaint. You're free to use your quirk, however, Venus will not be allowed to use his to prove my point. Are there any questions?"

"All this to prove some silly dancing's usefulness?" Suzuno questioned while sizing up Venus with a critical eye. Venus on the other hand had an amused smirk on his face.

"You're not scared are you, pretty boy?" Venus taunted, cocking his head playfully to the side with a coy smile

"I am not!" the younger boy sputtered indignantly, "and who are you calling pretty boy when you look like a girl? I don't need any fancy ballet tricks to take you down."

"Consider this your first lesson then," Madame Rouge stated, "everyone else, watch carefully in case anyone else doubts my teaching methods. You may begin on my mark."

Suzuno widened his stance as he prepared to fight, readying his hands to create glass. Venus simply watched the younger boy with a bemused expression.

"My bet's on Suzuno," Jai whispered to the others, "he placed first in the exams and he'll be able to use his quirk long range."

"A fair analysis, but we also don't know what Venus can do. Madame Rouge seems to have a lot of faith in him to the point she even gave Suzuno a handicap by restricting Venus's quirk," Naoya chimed in as he watched the two boys in mild interest. "Venus seems sure of himself as well."

"My bet's that Suzuno doesn't last ten seconds," Bloodhound cut in conspiratorially, surprising the others, "Venus has been training for this his whole life and that shouldn't be overlooked. It shows in his work. He's absolutely ruthless in the field and isn't one to hold back over something as petty as some rich kid's pride. Rather, I think he'll enjoy knocking Suzuno down a peg a little too much."

"I agree with Bloodhound," Hiroyuki added, "I hear he's one of the most promising up and coming agents."

"How do _you_ know that?" Akia asked with a frown, but her question was left unanswered as the match was about to begin.

Madame Rouge raised her hand and then swiftly brought it down, signaling the start of the match. Suzuno pulled back his arm, hand outstretched to project glass at the long-haired boy. However, before he could even react, Venus was in his opened space and swiveled around, landing a powerful and clean roundhouse kick to Suzuno's jaw, sending the boy flying. Suzuno skidded across the wood flooring, rolling until his back hit the wall with a painful thump and promptly ending the match.

She gave a low whistle. "I stand corrected. Less than five seconds."

"The Madame said you could use your quirk," Venus commented easily as he sauntered over to Suzuno. The younger boy pushed himself up with a groan and glared daggers at him, "what makes you think I'd actually let you use it?"

"That's not fair to the rules then!" Suzuno objected hotly, "It was my quirk against those stupid fighting methods."

Venus scoffed. "You think villains care about rules and fairness? Quirk or quirkless, a dead man's a dead man." He offered his hand, but Suzuno smacked it away in disgust.

"He's right," Madame Rouge interjected, "your enemies will not care about honor and fair fights, and thus, you will need to stoop to their level if you want to stay alive. There's no honor in killing, but there's no honor in dying, not in our profession. It's simply kill or be killed in our line of work, and in this example, Suzuno would have been a dead man. However, morality is not the topic for today's lesson. What did the rest of you observe during this spar?"

"Venus was fast. He knew from the start that he was at a disadvantage since he was limited to close range combat against a long range quirk user. Because of this, the smartest decision was to end the match before Suzuno could even make a move," Naoya noted.

"The roundhouse kick was a good choice too," Akia added, "the extra spin helped add momentum to his kick, allowing him to knock Suzuno back with more force and subsequently knocking him down."

"It was perfectly executed as well. With that much speed behind it, he needed a solid center of balance and unwavering technique to produce enough power to knock Suzuno down. A blow like that requires core and leg strength, flexibility, and coordination to hit his target on such short notice. I'm assuming that's where ballet comes into play," Aria speculated, looking to their teacher expectantly.

"Very good, you are all very observant and fast learners. Yes, ballet will act as a base and supplement to your combat and stealth skills. It will isolate and amplify muscle groups, heighten your speed and jumps, improve your flexibility and balance, clean up and silence your footwork, and aid your coordination and precision. Now," she said, clapping her hands, "everyone to the barre unless anyone else would like a personal demonstration."

Everyone was quick to follow and Suzuno took his place in the line up as well albeit with a bruised lip and ego. Bloodhound discretely fist-bumped Venus as he took his place beside her at the barre.

"Good. Be ready for hard work in my lessons. I'll make primas out of you yet," Rouge promised. She straightened, putting her heels together and turning her toes out. "Now, this is first position… Hiroyuki shoulders back and straighten that posture. Akia turn your toes out more. Naoya and Jai, more core strength. Aria, good form. Suzuno release the tension from your shoulders. Thank you. Second position..."

* * *

The six students all groaned as they stumbled back into their classroom, fully changed into their UA uniforms and rubbing their aching muscles. Aria felt her thigh muscles spasm from all the plié squats they had to do as she gracelessly collapsed in her chair in exhaustion.

"I think I now know what Bloodhound meant when she said Madame Rouge would put the fear of god in us," Jai groaned from her desk.

"Yeah, no kidding," Hiroyuki mumbled, looking more tired than he was this morning.

Madame Rouge strode in gracefully with Venus and Bloodhound at her heels carrying three briefcases.

"Well that was your first lesson of the day. Instead of meeting here every morning, I would like you all to be in Room B wearing your ballet uniforms no later than zero-eight-hundred unless I instruct you otherwise. It will get the blood pumping and provide a morning warm up to prepare you for the day." She gestured for Venus and Bloodhound to step forward with the cases. "Now, as agents you will have to protect your identity. For now, this is not something you need to worry about as you are officially known as UA students studying to hone your quirks for a specific trade. However, when you go on missions in the future, you will need to conceal your identity. One of the ways we do this is by masks." Venus and Bloodhound opened the cases to reveal six masks customized for each of them. "By accepting these masks, you are agreeing to the personal risks to you and your loved ones by joining the ranks as A class agents."

Naoya and Aria slightly hesitated, but the others readily accepted the masks offered to them. Gingerly lifting her mask from the case, Aria stared back at the dark full-faced mask with its crescent smile and eyes. It almost seemed to be laughing at her.

"You will also select a code name. As you can probably deduce, the staff members and TA's of this department all go by code names to protect our identities. From this point on, you will refer to each other by your code names except for in public settings so you can grow accustomed to them. Would anyone like to start with the rebranding?"

"My code name will be Blue Jay," Jai started immediately. It seemed fairly fitting, the name matching the blue and white porcelain bird mask in her hands.

"Glass," Suzuno chimed in and Naoya followed suit.

"Memory."

"I'll be Bubbles," Akia stated with certainty.

"Yuki," Hiroyuki added. Madame Rouge raised a delicate brow at his choice as it seemed to be more of a nickname but she didn't press the issue. Instead, she looked to Aria expectantly as the only student left.

"I'll be… Talon," she said with finality, gazing back once more at the dark gleeful face in her hands.

"Good, good. Now with that all settled, I'm sure you're all eager to start your next class." Right on cue, the door was thrown open and Ace sauntered in, black suit and all. "Just on time as always, Ace," Rouge beamed.

"Of course Madame R," the blonde youth said with a grin before turning to the class, "a word of advice, never show up late to her class. You'll sorely regret it." His cheeky smile did little to assuage their worries. "Are these maggots mine now?"

The red-haired woman waved a hand dismissively as she took her leave. "Do as you will. I leave them in your care."

At that, Ace gave them a sharp smile that seemed to promise a world of pain. He hit a switch and six new briefcases emerged from the wall.

"Masks and uniforms on. We're going to hit the ground running." He crossed his arms and cocked his head to the side, surveying the class through his black-framed lenses. "How do you feel about spars? I heard one of you already got their ass kicked this morning," he said mirthfully, giving Suzuno a knowing look, which the boy returned with a heated glare, "rule number one, never disrespect Madame R unless you want your ass handed to you. But enough of that, let's get moving. Every second wasted is another second shaved off of your sparring time. You'll find that in our profession, every second is the difference between life and death," Ace stated with a grin, "we meet at Gym Gamma in fifteen. Be prepared for a fight. I want to see what you punks are made of."

Removing her case from the wall, Aria gingerly opened it on her desk to get a first look. Instead of the typical red, white, and blue UA training uniforms, a black suit laid neatly folded inside. The others also curiously peered over her shoulder to get a glimpse of the new uniform.

"It's a bit different from the traditional UA uniforms," Ace commented knowingly, "but you are not heroes and you never will be. You're agents. It's only fitting that you train in an agent's uniform."

Aria ran her hand over the nylon material before placing her mask on top. The completed uniform seemed to be the final nail in the coffin. Her world would never be the same.

* * *

 **Sorry guys! It really took a hot minute for me to get this chapter up. I just got back from spring break and had a lot on my plate before I left, but it's finally up and running. Unfortunately I also still have a ton due in the next weeks to come. Ugh.**

 **So another thing, I put up a forum for this story! It's kind of my first time doing a forum, but I wanted a central place to put some extra materials in. Currently, I have character bios posted on the forum. They contain a brief synopsis of each character including ages, appearances, and quirks. Here's the link. Alternatively, the forum is called MHA: Black Ops Forum or you can find it under the My Hero Academia forums.**

 **www . fan fiction . n e t  
/ forum / MHA - Black - Ops - Forum / 210767 /**

 **Well anyway, on to the questions!**

 **1\. For the spars next chapter, who do you want to see fight each other?**

 **2\. After Ace's class, whose class would you like to see next? I'm taking votes! (Interrogation with Black Echo, Strategy with Akira, and Investigation with Aura - I'm probably going to put Personal Psychology with Delphi last)**

 **3\. Is there anything you'd like me to add to the forum other than the character bios? (I hope you enjoy the forum!)**

 **I'm also planning to make appearances from the hero class next chapter so that's pretty exciting! I'll post the hero bios after the next chapter to not give anything away quite yet.**


	5. All the World's a Stage

_Theatre [the-a-ter]_

 _1\. A building, part of a building, or outdoor area for housing dramatic presentations, stage entertainments, or motion-picture shows._

 _2\. An area or place in which important military events and war operations occur or are progressing._

* * *

 **All the World's a Stage**

* * *

Gymnasium Gamma was made to hold a class of twenty students and contain dangerous quirks such as explosions or fire and ice in a safe and controlled environment. With class 1-L, however, the room seemed too big, too engulfing, and their black uniforms too dull under the fluorescent lights. The six of them stood before Ace in Gym Gamma, each suited up in a variant of a black bodysuit to fit their needs, complete with their personalized masks. Venus and Bloodhound stood just behind them in similar attire at a parade rest. In stark contrast, Jai - or Blue Jay now - stood with her head boredly cocked to the side and hands buried deep in her brown trench coat, her blue and white bird mask hiding her equally bored expression. She and Hiroyuki, now Yuki, were the only ones whose posture slouched with indifference. Despite her supposed idleness, her mind was hardly that. Robotic eyes darted across the walls of the gym, scanning its dimensions as her computerized brain processed it all.

 _Scanning room…_

 _ATTENTION: Default options used_

 _Driver: Loaded_

 _Mode: Auto_

 _Device: WATANABE-J_

 _Initializing interface… done_

 _Checking firmware compatibility… done_

 _Reading CPU version… done_

 _Reading web information… done_

 _Checking content of flash… done_

 _Refreshing… done_

 _Material analyzed. All concrete walls, flooring, and ceiling. Gymnasium Gamma has been in the records for four years. Based on the condition and color of the concrete, the whole building was redone approximately two weeks ago._

 _div id="CPU-loader"_

 _div id="CPU-loader"/div_

 _div class ="loader-section section-left"/div_

 _div class ="loader-section section-right"/div_

 _/div_

 _Ishiyama Ken aka Cementoss. Male. Age 28. Occupation - Pro Hero and UA High School Modern Literature instructor. Quirk - Cement. This quirk allows him to manipulate any cement-based material._

' _That would explain it,'_ Jai mused to herself as Ace assessed them all now that they were in full regalia.

"You guys clean up pretty well," Ace admitted before burying his hands in his pockets in a similarly casual manner to Blue Jay, "we're going to take it easy since it's your first day and all and Madame R already broke you in. I remember my academy days when Madame Rouge would drill us through pirouettes." Blue Jay nearly snorted at the mental image of Ace in a tutu. "We're doing spars today so I can assess how well you utilize your quirks and where you're at with your combat skills."

Had Suzuno, or rather Glass, not been wearing his reflective mask, Blue Jay would have seen him scowl. "If this is your idea of easy, what's your idea of a hard day?"

Ace grinned at the blonde boy. "Being an agent isn't all fun, games, and glamour. The hardest part of being an agent is the waiting. After this first combat class, you may be waiting a while before you get any real action since most of you are novices. You want action? You have to work for it because we're not sending amateurs to a premature death. We're doing conditioning tomorrow starting with a 5K, and yes, you still have ballet in the morning."

Had the class had 'normal' students, Blue Jay was sure she would have heard a collective groan. However, it seemed her classmates had too much pride or restraint to give into it. At least they all had that in common.

"I've already made the sparring arrangements for today. It'll be a little fun experiment of sorts, just to see how everyone measures up. You all will be fighting your opposite placement based off of the entrance exam results, meaning Glass will fight Yuki, Memory will fight Talon, and Blue Jay will fight Bubbles. You will be divided into two teams, Team Bloodhound and Team Venus. Your TA's will give you pointers before your spar based on what they've observed and read from your profiles."

"Is this some kind of competition between the two teams then?" Glass asked.

Ace tapped his lips thoughtfully. "You know, that's not a bad idea, kid. Losers have to run a 10K tomorrow. There's your incentive not to suck," he said with a wink, though his smile was absolutely feral. Blue Jay was really wishing she was paired with Glass now so she could smash that smart mouth into the ground. Hopefully Yuki was good enough to do the honors. "Anybody else want to add to the betting pool? Wanna turn that 10K into a half marathon? One hundred pushups maybe? No? Good. Bloodhound, Venus, we're picking teams kickball style. Pick a number between one and one-hundred."

"Seventy-two," Venus stated.

"Seventy-one," Bloodhound countered. Venus glanced at her from behind a pale mask with painted red lips, eyes brimming with amusement.

"It was thirteen. Bloodhound gets first pick."

"I want Yuki," she immediately declared.

"Venus gets Glass then," Ace said, eliciting a thinly veiled groan from Venus. The two boys joined their respective team leader. Even with masks obscuring their expressions, Blue Jay could tell Glass was still moody about getting his ass kicked by Venus in Rouge's class just by his body language, and if Venus was able to read emotions, the older boy probably knew it too.

"Talon," Venus called. The brunette joined his team while Memory joined Bloodhound's side.

"Bubbles," Bloodhound picked and the bubblegum-haired girl was herded over to her.

Last to be picked, Blue Jay walked over to Venus, Talon, and Glass. Venus crossed his arms playfully. "Well good, I was going to pick Blue Jay anyway."

"I don't need your pity encouragement," Blue Jay monotoned, "I really couldn't care less. I'll still be fighting Bubbles in the end."

Venus stared at her with unreadable eyes before simply shrugging, his bubbliness dimming to reveal some seriousness. "Regardless, I still would have picked you."

"Why?"

"In this style of selection, we basically got to place our bet on who we'd think would win in a spar based on the match ups. We haven't seen you fight, not even in the entrance exam. You have no prior combat or sports training either, not like some of the others had. However, I have a feeling your quirk has more combat potential than what we are giving it credit for, based on your file."

She rolled her shoulders back and stretched her neck lazily. "It has its use with enough motivation. I really don't feel like running a 10K tomorrow."

"And of course, with everyone focused on the fight between Memory, Yuki, Talon, and Bubbles during the entrance exam, not many would have realized that you were intently studying everyone's fighting styles from the control room after you cut the lights," he replied slyly. She didn't deign him with a response.

"And of course, we'll have a few guests sitting in to watch. All of the skills you'll learn in your classes intermingle with each other so it's only logical that your other teachers assess your combat skills to better tailor their lessons to your individual strengths and weaknesses," Ace announced, almost mischievously. They all glanced at the top balcony as Madame Rouge, Akira, Aura, Black Echo, and Delphi entered the training grounds. "Now, the first match is Glass versus Yuki. You get five minutes to prep."

"Well at least you don't need to stretch since we just got out of ballet," Venus commented thoughtfully, "so here's the deal. I think if you're able to keep-"

"I'm not an idiot. I don't need you to hold my hand for something as stupidly simple as a spar," Glass shot back haughtily, adjusting his palmless gloves with more aggression than necessary. At that moment, Blue Jay wished Venus wasn't wearing a mask so she could see what the boy's 'I-want-to-roundhouse-kick-you-in-the-face-again' expression was. "I'm not as dimwitted as the rest of my peers, I can manage without your help."

"Quite the arrogant little shit, aren't you?" Blue Jay remarked point blank, not really liking being called stupid.

"I don't believe I asked for your opinion, Cyborg."

"Guys-" Talon futilely tried to placate.

"I'm sorry," Blue Jay replied dispassionately, picking her ear in disinterest, "What was that Mr. I-just-got-my-ass-kicked-in-five-seconds?"

"Look, I get that you're a smart kid and all, I really do," Venus cut in before Glass could throw himself at his teammate, "but I know more about Yuki than anybody else here. I know how his quirk works, how he fights, and how he ticks."

"I placed first while Yuki placed dead last," Glass said, turning away stubbornly and snubbing him with his nose in the air, "like I said, I don't need your help to beat some kid who barely scraped his way into the class."

With his mask on, the only sign of Venus's frustration was his clenched fists. "No, you won't because you're already underestimating him. Yuki is easily the best combatant out of all of you. You need a _plan_."

"It's a bit hard to plan with you nagging in my ear."

"Can you just drop your inflated ego for like, two seconds-"

"Time's up!" Ace called from across the gym.

"Gee, thanks for your help, _pretty boy_ ," Glass sassed back sarcastically before leaving to meet Yuki at the center of the gym.

Venus dragged a hand through his long hair and let out a strangled noise of frustration. "I swear to god if he ends up causing you guys to run a 10K, I'm going to make him run an extra five."

"Good because it was his idea in the first place," Blue Jay deadpanned, "what do you think his odds are?"

"If there's one thing Yuki excels in it's combat," Venus answered truthfully with a tired sigh as he watched the boys prepare for their fight, "which is why Ace probably arranged the matchup as he did. While Glass placed first, Yuki has had more combat training than the six of you combined, intense combat training at that. If Glass doesn't play his cards right, he'll lose for sure. Hell, he doesn't even know the full extent of Yuki's quirk!"

"As much as I don't want to run a 10k, I hope he loses."

"Jai- I mean Blue Jay, why would you want him to fail then?" Talon asked curiously.

"A lesson in humility," she shrugged noncommittally, "he lost immediately to Venus because he was too cocky. He's going into this match with the same mentality out of pure spite. His strategy during the exams was good, but now he's losing his edge because he's underestimating his opponents. He thinks he's the smartest person in the room and thinks everyone else is beneath him, but he forgets that we're top contenders as well. If he continues this way, he'll only get left in the dust."

Talong couldn't find it in herself to disagree as the remaining students watched from the sidelines. Glass and Yuki stood in front of one another, both seeming to contrast the other. The blonde boy was alert and tense, the cogs turning in his head as he sized up his opponent. Yuki, on the other hand, had his hands buried in his pockets, hip cocked to the side in a casual manner, and his lazy smile could be spotted through his half-mask.

"Same deal as the entrance exam. No permanent damage. We can cart you off to Recovery Girl and fix broken bones, but we can't fix missing limbs or broken minds." Blue Jay didn't miss the way Ace gave a pointed look towards Naoya, or rather, Memory in this setting. She personally hadn't seen his quirk, but she could only wonder now what the unassuming boy who claimed he wanted to better society had up his sleeve. "You may begin on my mark."

As Ace moved to rejoin them, Bloodhound drifted over to Venus and leaned towards his ear. "The other instructors are taking bets on who's going to win," she whispered loud enough for Talon and Blue Jay to hear.

"Who are they betting on?" he asked curiously.

"Yuki unanimously."

"Not too surprising. I'd bet on him too."

"Not fair. You guys seem to know a lot about him, but I'm out of the loop." Blue Jay could practically hear her pout, but there was an underlying bitterness beneath her words. "What makes him so special?"

"You know I can't tell you. Yuki's case is classified information."

"Then how come you know?"

"We…" he seemed to struggle to find the right words without giving too much away, "I don't know him personally, but we come from a similar… situation I guess."

"And your _situation_ is also classified?" she more stated than asked, crossing her arms unimpressed.

"It is," he glanced at her wearily, shoulders slumping from their normally perfect posture. That moment was probably the most tired Blue Jay had seen the easily excitable teen even including their post-ballet workout.

' _What's that all about?'_ Blue Jay thought to herself, turning away to look at her two classmates on the training grounds. Ace stood off to the side and swiftly started the match with a wave of his hand.

It seemed Glass actually learned something from his match with Venus and actually took his word of advice not to underestimate Yuki seriously. The first thing Glass did was throw up a thick glass barrier around himself, nearly a second before Yuki landed a potentially devastating punch that cracked the glass. Blue Jay's eyes dilated and constricted as they focused in on the fight.

 _Opponent A identified… Suzuno Hanamiya. Code name: Glass_

 _Opponent B identified…. Hiroyuki Yukimura. Code name: Yuki_

 _Analyzing data…._

 _Glass's quirk is manifested in the palms of his hands. The pores in his palms are producing shards of glass that he can manipulate on command._

 _Yuki has a mutation quirk, but the extent of the quirk is still unknown. He is faster than the average human though, averaging 40-45 mph. Yuki's hit contained 400 pounds of force, stronger than the average human. However, he is not equally as durable it seems._

Blue Jay watched as tears of fresh red blood dripped from Yuki's twitching knuckles as the white haired boy re-assessed the situation. A trail of crimson slid down from the splintered cracks in the glass as Glass quickly recovered from his shock. Had he not have immediately defended himself, the broken glass could have easily been a broken nose.

"It seems like you actually learned something from your fight with Venus," Yuki commented humorously, the easy smile on his lips, seemingly unbothered by his damaged hand.

Glass didn't reply. Instead, three glass spikes shot out from the barrier, causing the tiger-dog boy to jump back. With more distance between them, Glass lowered his defenses. His shield liquified, coating the floor around him in a layer of mirror-like glass. He dragged his hands down his chest and arms, painting on a layer of glass armor. Settling into a fighter's stance, he dared Yuki to make the first move.

With a closed-eye smile, the tiger-boy was quick to deliver. He sprinted towards Glass once more, swiftly dodging the blades of glass that erupted from the ground with ease no matter how erratically Glass summoned them. Before Yuki could reach him, Glass threw up another wall to divert him. With enhanced speed and strength, it wasn't surprising when Yuki flipped over the wall at an incredible height. Impressively, he twisted mid-air and narrowly dodged another glass shard as it flew past the arch of his back with an athleticism that Blue Jay only expected from her teachers. At that point, there wasn't anything Glass could do but try to shield himself with his arms as Yuki landed a kick from above.

The glass around his forearms cracked on impact and the blonde boy tried to roll away to put some more distance between them. Yuki was too fast for him though and dragged him back by his leg, drawing blood as Glass's bare palms scraped against the stray shards littering the floor. Glass let out a strangled cry as the shards lodged themselves into his skin and Yuki didn't give him the time to even think of a next plan of action before straddling and beating on him, each blow eliciting a loud echo throughout the gymnasium.

Blue Jay noted from her place at the side lines that Yuki's movements were a sharp contrast to Venus's. While both were swift and agile, Venus had a sort of precision-like grace with his movements. Yuki fought like a soldier with a predatory brutality. He didn't fight to win, he fought to end. She detected movement in the corner of her eye and briefly saw Madame Rouge step forward from her place among the staff members, however, Akira stopped her from going any further. A silent but tense conversation seemed to pass between them before the red-haired woman stood down and turned back to the match with a fixed frown on her face.

The glass armor the blonde wore was in shards now, turning on it's user as the jagged pieces dug into his skin with every hit. The reflective silver mask was chipping away as well, revealing the rough black paint underneath. There was no time for planning, no time to think for Glass as he hissed with every shard that buried itself into his flesh. He was becoming sporadic and desperate, losing his surety and composure as he thrashed violently under Yuki. It was probably an entirely ugly, new, and frightening emotion for the spoiled boy who thought himself above all others, but it was apparently a good enough motivator. With how transparent it was, Blue Jay didn't see the glass blade Glass manifested in his hand until it was buried deep in Yuki's thigh. Yuki let out a howl of pain, but it was enough of a distraction for Glass to kick him off and then encase himself in a thick shell of glass before Yuki could recover.

"For a second there, I thought Yuki had him for sure," Memory commented lightly, his mild amusement evident as he waited to see what the boys would do next with intense interest, "but you know what they say. If you back an animal into a corner, they're bound to lash out."

"Yuki's too fast for Glass to mentally keep up with," the usually quiet Bubbles observed softly. "If he plays offense, Yuki dodges every obstacle. If he plays defense, Yuki breaks through his barriers."

"He apparently didn't learn from my spar with him," Venus stated, "I told him I wouldn't give him the opportunity to use his quirk. Now Yuki's not giving him the opportunity to use his brain. It seems as though he'll have some time to think and breathe before making his next move though. Who knows, if he plays his cards right, he might even win. He injured Yuki pretty badly."

They silently watched Glass from outside his enclosure as the boy picked out the shards that had embedded themselves into his shoulders and arms with bared teeth. Yuki on the other hand shakily stood, avoiding weight on his injured leg. The boy somehow was still smiling despite all that had transpired, but now he wore it as if he were impressed and seriously regarding Glass as a serious opponent for the first time.

Yuki was still fast, but his thigh wound had severely slowed him down. His moves were more sluggish, more predictable. Glass didn't drop his walls this time. Instead, another spike extended from the glass dome to meet him. Yuki dodged easily enough but the following spear had grazed his arm, drawing blood. He stumbled right into the path of another spike and just barely rolled out of the way before it could impale him. Apparently Glass had forgotten Ace's key rule of no permanent damage. Blue Jay wasn't quite sure if Recovery Girl could heal disemboweled children.

Despite it all, Yuki inched his way closer and closer to Glass's sphere like a man hell bent on a mission. Like a soldier. He ducked just in time as another spike shot out, reeled his arm back and punched the barrier with more force than he ever had that entire match.

 _Analyzing…_

 _600 pounds of force_

Blue Jay let out a low whistle. Tiger-dog boy had been holding out on them. The barrier shattered like an egg shell under the pressure and Yuki was upon Glass before the boy could get away. The glass-user didn't stand a chance. Blocking was futile as Yuki pummeled him like a punching bag with quick, powerful jabs and kicks.

 _Analyzing…_

 _Boxing… Taekwondo… Muay Thai_

Blue Jay could see why Venus said this was his specialty. Yuki was in his element and completely zoned in on his target as he moved like a viper going in for the kill. She was almost taken aback by his ferocity. It was very clear that he had previous combat training. He could probably even go toe to toe with pro-heroes with his fighting abilities alone. It was clear that he could easily take any one of them down in a quirkless spar.

One last punch to the gut knocked the air out of Glass as he choked on bile, but before he could stumble away, Yuki yanked him by the collar of his shirt and the white-haired boy slammed his head down on his. The sound of their masks cracking against one another reverberated through the concrete walls. Chunks of plaster splintered on impact, partly revealing both boys' wide eyed expressions, Glass's look of terrified shock and Yuki's wild stare as their gazes met. That moment seemed suspended in time, yet it only lasted mere seconds as Glass's eyes rolled back. Yuki indifferently shoved the boy back, letting his opponent's body drop to the floor with finality. He didn't even react as Glass's head cracked against the concrete. The others winced at the raw impact to Glass's head and the following blood splurt. The professor's tensed from their place on the balcony as well. Perhaps she didn't understand most humans or the emotions that drove them, but Blue Jay was no stranger to apathy. Despite the smiles and nonchalance, Yuki simply did not care about his teammate. She'd go as far as to bet that he probably didn't care about the wellbeing of any of them.

"The winner of the first match is Yuki. Team Bloodhound gets a point," Ace announced. The instructors descended from their place at the top balcony as Ace removed the remains of Glass's shattered mask from his face. Even Yuki's mask was shattered, leaving behind only half of his horned mask intact. Ace let out an impressed hum at the damage. "You've had these masks for what, less than an hour and you've already shattered two of them. That's a new record I think."

"I hear one of the new students at the Academy shattered a mask fifteen minutes after receiving theirs," Black Echo commented as he and the rest of the instructors joined them.

Ace cursed under his breath. "Like hell I'd let those brats upstage us. I'll have them whipped into shape by summer."

"Everyone shut up." Aura stepped forward and kneeled beside Glass's prone form, motioning Bloodhound beside him. The blonde girl hurried forward and took a knee beside him. "What do you think?"

Bloodhound's eyes flicked up and down Glass's unconscious body as she thought. "Broken nose, moderate bleeding from various lacerations to the face and chest though the glass embedded in his skin is slowing down the most of it. He'll need to have those removed before healing his wounds. Regular heartbeat though slightly elevated probably due to recent exertion, regular breathing pattern. He's bleeding profusely from his head, but there doesn't seem to be any fractures. It's probably just a scrape. Possible concussion though."

She looked to him unsurely and he nodded. "Good. However, you missed something. Irregular chest expansion and lung sounds on the left side, probably due to a fractured left fifth and sixth rib. None of the glass shards have seemed to have pierced his lungs, which is good. Lastly," Aura turned over the boy's palms, "glass accumulation to the palms from his quirk. Do you know what that means?"

"His quirk has a limit. The more he uses his quirk, the more glass shards stick and accumulate to his hands, effectively blocking the pores that create them and stopping his quirk. His best bet would've been to end the match as quickly as he could."

"You are correct, good assessment Bloodhound. He should be taken to Recovery Girl right away. I'm more concerned about a possible concussion," he stated, giving Yuki a dark, accusatory look. He hoisted Glass's unconscious form and dumped him into Yuki's arms unceremoniously, causing the boy to hiss from the unexpected pressure to his wounded leg and arm. "You break it, you fix it."

"Aura," Madame Rouge snapped warningly, very much looking like the hardened spy she was.

Aura's glared back, matching her challenge with his head held high. "You know what I hate? Disloyalty. Even in a spar, people who let their comrades fall are scum. They stopped being children the minute they joined our ranks. If you continue to coddle them, they _will_ die. They are a team. If they want to survive they better start acting like it. "

"You have a valid argument, I will not deny that, but you're also letting your emotions get the better of you."

Blue Jay assessed the situation silently, feeling the tense atmosphere that settled around them. Memory, Bubbles, and Talon looked taken aback by the scene while Yuki neutrally observed. Bloodhound looked uncomfortable and Venus's expression gave nothing away, but his muscles were tense and coiled as if in preparation to move at a moments notice. Even the other teachers were reacting oddly. Ace and Delphi observed the scene neutrally but watched with sharp intensity, Black Echo's brow was furrowed as if trying to piece together some kind of puzzle, and Akira's smile remained unmoved as he watched the scene unfold with narrowed, dilated serpentine eyes. There was something she was missing in this story.

"I'll take him," Black Echo soft voice interrupted as he held his arms out to Yuki who passed the blonde boy off to the raven haired man, "Yuki still needs to be debriefed for his match."

Ace frowned at this and stepped forward. "I don't think that's a good idea. I better take him."

"I can handle myself Ace," he said in turn, already heading for the exit.

"At least let me accompany you-"

"That's not necessary," Black Echo said abruptly, "I don't need you to escort me, however, the other students need you. Just send Yuki over once he's done. He sounds like he's in a lot of pain."

They all watched as Black Echo exited the facility. Before anything could escalate again, Ace recovered. "Well all this glass is going to be a mess to clean up," he said with a sheepish chuckle in attempts to lighten the mood before getting down to business. "Well let's analyze the fight, shall we? We'll start with our fallen comrade.

"Glass's strength lies in his offensive and defensive abilities that are appropriate for both long range and short range use. Had it been anyone else, he might have actually won. Like Bloodhound observed, his major weakness was his own quirk, or rather, an overuse of it. If he can learn to rely more on hand to hand combat and weaponry, he'll have a better endurance time. However, I saw Glass's biggest strength as his mind. Even on short notice, he was able to catch Yuki off guard at times. If he's given the right resources and information beforehand, he could be a formidable strategist, as seen in his entrance exam scores. However, his biggest strength was hindered by his greatest weakness - his arrogance. Don't think I didn't notice the bickering between Team Venus. Glass didn't take Yuki seriously during debrief and refused any helpful information his team leader could give him to better his odds, believing that he knew better. Had he have listened to Venus, he would've known that Yuki is faster than the average human, and Yuki took advantage of this by powering through all of Glass's defenses before he could even make a plan of action. Glass may be a good strategizer, but all of that is useless if he can't be a good leader and work with others." Ace sighed and crossed his arms in mock disappointment. "Too bad our number one rookie isn't here to get burned by my criticisms though," the young teacher said brightly before sliding a narrow gaze to Yuki.

"It's easy to see that Yuki has superior strength and speed. At surface level, his greatest strength could be seen as previous combat training. His form is that of a seasoned fighter, not that of a civilian who had never thrown a punch before like Glass. Even against a hero like Eraserhead, he would stand a pretty good chance. It's also noteworthy that one of his physical weaknesses is his lack of durability. He's stronger, faster, and has better endurance, but he isn't durable enough to make up for it," the blonde teacher said, nodding to Yuki's wounds, "to me, however, Yuki's greatest strength is experience. He has combat training yes, but he has fought others without holding back before and has faced situations the rest of you have not, and that already puts him leagues ahead of the rest of you including Bloodhound." Bloodhound involuntarily flinched at this, fixing her gaze stubbornly to the floor even as Venus placed a comforting hand on her back. "He doesn't hesitate or hold back, and in our profession, we can't afford to. His greatest weakness though is having such a one-track mind that while fighting, he forgets that this is just a spar among colleagues, not a mission or a life or death situation against an enemy. He needs to get out of this fight or flight mode and keep his wits about him or else he's nothing but mindless muscle. If he doesn't remove himself from this mindset, he'll never be anything more than a B ranked agent despite all his talent because he lacks the ability to rationalize and make decisions for himself.

Ace shifted his hardened look he was pinning Yuki with to the others. "Is there anything my TA's want to add?" Bloodhound was uncharacteristically silent, though Venus stepped forward.

"I agree with your sentiments, Ace. At best, he needs to bond more with his teammates so he sees them more as a team and less of an obstacle to overcome. At worse, he needs extra sessions with Delphi." The long-haired boy's eyes slid over to Yuki cooly. "He hasn't felt an ounce of empathy for anyone the entire time he's been here at UA. It's not that he dislikes anyone but he's simply apathetic to the people around him. How can someone who lacks basic human compassion work towards the greater good? He can't even bring himself to feel contrite even as I'm berating him." Blue Jay was a little surprised by the older boy's ire. This was probably the most worked up she had seen him.

"Venus, the empath. I remember Chariot telling me about you. The agency's most hopeful up and coming rookie, molded from the ashes of a dying legacy. I can see why they praise you so highly," Yuki observed truthfully in good humor, though almost as if he were simply commenting on a cruel joke. Yuki smiled easily back at him, though the one yellow eye crinkling behind his shattered mask lacked all mirth. "I guess you're fighting for the greater good, huh? It's a fool's errand."

"I suppose you wouldn't understand the struggles of others," Venus snipped back.

"I didn't say your motives weren't honorable, just that it's a foolish venture. My motives are all my own. In the end, I'm simply doing as I'm told," Yuki shrugged with a small smile despite Venus's glower. "Just as you are, Agent Venus."

Without even glancing at him, Ace shooed Yuki away. "Enough chit chat. You're job here's done so off to the infirmary with you. We wouldn't want your boss to know we damaged his goods."

Rouge shot him a scathing look before smiling over to Delphi. "Delphi could you be a dear and escort Yuki to the infirmary? He looks like he'll need some help."

"It's fine. I should be able to manage by myse-"

The boy abruptly fell into Delphi's arms and the petite girl hauled him over her shoulder unceremoniously. "Unlike the rest of you, I'm not dealing with anyone's bullshit today. Don't wait up," she deadpanned before exiting the facility.

"I'm surprised she's able to carry his weight so easily," Talon remarked quietly, still quite taken aback by the whole exchange.

"Oh just wait till you guys start weight training," Blue Jay heard Ace mutter under his breath. "Memory and Talon are up next then. You two get five minutes with your captains to prepare."

Blue Jay elbowed Memory and Bubbles before they could wander far. "Was I the only one who thought that was weird?"

Talon's gaze flickered warily back to their teachers but nodded. "They're preaching teamwork but can hardly work together themselves. Venus and Bloodhound seem to be more on edge as well."

"It's not necessarily that," Memory commented, deep in thought as if he was still trying to puzzle it out himself, "they aren't inherently clashing. It's only over one problem they seem to be at odds on."

"And that problem is Yuki," Bubbles concluded.

Blue Jay nodded curtly. "Glad I wasn't the only one who noticed. Something's definitely off about that guy, and there's something about him the teachers are keeping us in the dark about. Some of them even seem to have a beef with him. Between the exam encounters and class, you can tell there's a tense history between them that I don't think anyone involved is willing to give up."

"Memory," Bubbles spoke up again, her pink and blue pigtails a stark contrast to the dark akaname design of her mask, "your quirk has something to do with memories I assume?"

"You would be correct," he replied carefully.

"Then you used your quirk on Yuki for a short time during the first exam… Were you able to see into Yuki's memories?" she asked. Memory looked just about to answer when he was cut off.

"Four minutes," Aura snapped impatiently, startling the four students.

The teams quickly split up and Venus immediately zeroed in on Talon like a hawk. "Okay. Memory is going to be a formidable opponent at worse, a brutal opponent at best. His strengths are his mind and his quirk, and unlike Glass, Memory doesn't have as big of an ego. He's a clever kid, probably even rivaling Glass's standards, but he can also fight dirty."

"Memory? Really? He seemed pretty nice to me," Talon balked skeptically.

"Looks can be deceiving. I don't know if it will come to that as there's less at stake here than in the exams, but this is something you need to know just in case. However, if you play your cards right, you may have the advantage. What Memory has in intelligence and quirk power, he lacks in combat. But you have a background in martial arts and athletics. If you take a page out of Yuki's book and attack and evade faster than Memory can react, then you can easily beat him. Don't let his quirk touch you though. His quirk can alter and destroy memories so if he gets you, it's over." Talon tensed at that. "You have to be quicker than his quirk and you can't stand to make even one mistake. Luckily for you, his quirk is a little sluggish. Do you remember what Bloodhound said about your quirk when we first met?"

"That it would be good for stealth?"

He nodded encouragingly. "It can be an unassuming quirk when used correctly. He doesn't think you're a strategist, not based off of what he's seen during the exams. Let him play his games, but play your own trap right under his nose. Can you do that?"

She was silent for a moment. The older boy could probably feel all the mixed emotions rolling off the brunette girl as she tried to mull over this new information. "Okay," she finally straightened in determination, "I think I have an idea."

"Good," he said warmly and clapped a hand on her shoulder, "make Team Venus proud!"

"Also don't fuck up because I really don't want to run more than I need to tomorrow," Blue Jay shoehorned in.

"Gee, thanks," Talon muttered, "no pressure."

"Time's up! Fighters ready for combat," Ace called.

Talon took a deep breath to mentally prepare herself before heading to the center of the training grounds. Memory was already waiting, his body language revealing nothing as he tracked her movements behind his white and blue mask. Once she was across from him, Ace raised a hand from his place at the side lines.

"Begin!"

Talon immediately jumped back, creating distance, but Memory hadn't moved. He didn't even make a move to defend himself or slide into a fighting stance. The albino boy simply continued to observe her quietly behind a blank mask.

Blue Jay nodded in approval, though not at her teammate. As both their quirks worked better close-range, he'd force her to come to him rather than waste energy trying to chase her. She had the superior physical training so it would be no doubt her endurance was superior to his. He wouldn't waste any more energy than he needed to.

"Who are you putting your money on?" Venus asked curiously, just between the two of them as they watched the match from the sidelines.

She considered it for a moment, but it wasn't a hard decision. "I'd bet on Talon."

"Oh? Even though Memory came in second while Talon came in fifth?"

She shrugged. "It doesn't matter. Glass came in first while Yuki placed dead last, and yet Yuki still wiped the floor with him. Based on the security footage I watched from the control room during the first exam, the same footage I'm willing to bet you reviewed, Talon has far superior physical strength and athleticism than Memory. He could hardly use his quirk because he was getting smacked around."

"I don't suppose you know how his second exam went then," Venus hummed.

"I don't suppose you know either as it wasn't recorded, unless Delphi can somehow hook up a projector to her conscious," Blue Jay replied sarcastically.

"Black Echo was projected through her quirk though, allowing him to judge everything as if he were actually there. Luckily for us, he has a photographic memory and was able to transcribe everything that occurred along with Delphi's input. I know what happened in that room when Memory was told to interrogate his teammate."

"And?"

"Black Echo made him erase her memory of the event to avoid traumatizing the girl. She was a sniveling mess and he didn't even lift a finger. Well I wouldn't say that. He did draw a blood streak down her face with someone else's blood. Let's just say there's a reason his final score was so high. He's not above cruelty to get what he wants. It's a good mindset for an agent. It shows conviction, a resolve to get the job done, and an ability to follow through with tough orders, which was the point of that exam, but as I told Yuki, complete apathy is our enemy as well. As agents, we'll have to get our hands dirty. It's a necessary evil, but without human compassion, we are no better than the villains."

She nodded her assent. "As you said earlier this morning, I hardly have any emotions due to the nature of my quirk. It's not necessarily something I can help though. I can't really relate, but objectively speaking, I get what you mean. Everyone has their own motives for being here, some more self-serving than others. I'm one of those self-serving assholes, but I'm at least upfront about it. Compassion keeps people tethered to the side of good. Having a loose cannon with a blatant disregard for the rules and humanity could mean losing a trained agent who knows too much to villainy."

"Exactly. I can tell Memory is already on their watch list just based on his second exam. They'll be keeping a close eye on him to make sure he stays in line, what with a quirk like that."

"Never would have guessed Memory would be so dark since he comes off as your stereotypical all-around nice guy. I guess he's no better than Yuki in that sense. Kinda hard to team bond when you can't trust anyone on your team," Blue Jay huffed in response before pegging him with a look, "are you saying that you're betting on Memory?"

"Me? Bet on anyone but Talon? Never," he scoffed in mock-affront, a hint of his usual playfulness surfacing again, "in all seriousness I meant what I said to her before the match. She's in a good position to win if she plays her cards right."

Blue Jay hummed, turning back to the match. "Are you sure you should be telling me all this? Doesn't really seem like secret agent behavior."

"Despite Aura's cold shoulder, he's right. You guys need to start acting like a team if you want to survive. If all the members of a team can't work together or depend on each other because they are too self-serving or constantly competing against one another, the mission will fail and the team risks exposure or death. Relationships begin with trust, and after everything I just told you, I doubt you really want to put your trust in Yuki or Memory."

She snorted in response. "No kidding. Even Glass, in all his stupid snobbishness, is more genuine."

"However, if I never said anything, any sort of trust you had would have been a lie. If you had built that trust only to find out the nature of their personalities later, that trust would be almost unsalvageable."

"So you're lowering my expectations now so I'm not disappointed later on then?" she deadpanned with a quirked brow.

"I'm giving you realistic expectations."

"I guess that makes sense," she conceded, "but isn't that a little hypocritical? You couldn't even tell Bloodhound about your background. Does that make you just as much as a fraud?"

Venus almost flinched at her blunt observation. "I couldn't even if I wanted to. I _do_ want to, but it's classified information. Besides," he muttered, fidgeting and tangling his fingers through his ponytail in distaste, "I'm trained specifically in espionage. My job _is_ to lie."

Blue Jay didn't reply, electing to focus on the match instead. With Memory playing the match the way he was, she wondered how Talon would adjust.

Talon straightened her posture, silently assessing the situation. Memory simply stared back, waiting for her to make the first move. The two were at a standstill, daring the other to go first. With a newfound determination, Talon haunched down before taking of into a dead sprint towards her opponent.

 _Analyzing… Opponent C identified as Kazuharu Aria. Code name: Talon_

 _Talon has a speed of 30 mph, faster than the average human._

Memory hadn't reacted as Aria took off, and didn't move to anticipate her plan of attack. Nearly a meter away before they could collide, a black aura shot out from Memory ready to pounce on the brunette. Anticipating this, Talon dropped to the floor, laying flat as she used her momentum to slide under the curling smoke-like aura on her knees. Before Memory could redirect his quirk, Talon swiped his legs from under him, sending the startled boy to the ground and dissipating the aura.

Talon activated her quirk, hardening her hair and nails and slashed clean through his uniform, leaving a shredded and bloody X across his chest. She had just enough time to spring back in an effortless backflip before his quirk shot out again. It was no wonder that Venus took an interest in her, Blue Jay thought to herself. Their fighting styles were similar in that they relied on agility, speed, and technique. Though while Venus used ballet as a base, it seemed that Talon relied on her skills as a gymnast.

Talon's claw-like nails dripped with first blood as she carefully watched as Memory struggled to regain his bearings. His quirk buzzed dangerously around him as he managed to stand back up. The white-haired boy pressed a gloved hand to his chest in an attempt to stave off the bleeding. Tauntingly, Talon motioned for him to try to catch her this time.

Though he made no outward reaction, he sent a cloud of his aura at her. Talon dodged left, always just a bit quicker than his quirk, and danced out of reach. Again, she maneuvered her way closer to him, but he had anticipated her moves then. A second wave aggressively barreled towards her, but she managed to roll away just as the two waves crashed together thanks to her small frame. Effectively in his space, she danced around Memory, punching clumsily, almost as if she's never thrown a punch before.

 _Analyzing… karate_

' _Really?'_ Blue Jay thought to herself. She didn't seem to be that good at it.

She punched his arms, shoulders, and thighs as if she was trying to avoid worsening his new wounds or hitting his face. Perhaps Talon was the most soft-hearted of the group. After her whole hero worship spiel earlier with Madame R, it didn't really surprise Blue Jay that Talon was a bit of a pushover. Perhaps she would have done better in the hero program, not that Blue Jay judged her for it. She couldn't care less about stuff like that, but she could imagine the demure brunette fitting in just fine with the heroes with her kind disposition and strong sense of righteousness and morality.

Once again, Talon darted away as Memory grabbed for her, but not quite fast enough this time. The black fog touched her leg and Blue Jay watched as the girl gave a sharp gasp and her eyes glazed over for a moment before her momentum caught up with her. Talon stumbled away and quickly rolled to the side before the aura could crash over her. The two regarded each other for a moment, Talon in a determined crouch and Memory with a curious tilt of his head as his quirk slithered around him menacingly.

"You know," Memory mused not unkindly, catching Talon off guard, "I always thought you were kind of ordinary, someone who had a normal quirk and a normal childhood… but we both know you didn't have a normal childhood, now do we?" Talon's knuckles became white from how hard she was clenching them, but she kept her composure at Memory's taunts. As if reading her mind, he continued. "Doesn't it bother you? Always having to be the perfect little porcelain doll on the shelf for mother and father to fawn over? The strict lessons, the rigorous etiquette. You're not even allowing yourself to be mad because you grew up being told that's not ladylike behavior."

Talon dashed towards him again, swiveling and flipping out of the way of his quirk as she tried to work her way towards him.

"And will you continue like this?" he asked as she swung sloppily at him, missing as he anticipated her blow this time. She caught herself and ducked before a wave of his aura could swipe at her. "Simply switching owners to be the agency's little doll and letting them pull your strings? Aren't you sick of people telling you what to do and who to be? It wasn't too late for you to have a normal life. Enroll into a normal high school, make the friends that you so desperately wanted in your childhood, have a normal nine to five job and live in a house with a white picket fence with a family of your own. You sold your soul for this, but is it worth it? What are you even fighting for?" His quirk blew past her hair, almost grazing her cheek. "Or perhaps you fear disappointing others and that's why you can't ever say _no?_ " Talon flinched this time, but not from his quirk. "Or maybe you fear failure. Failure to be the best because if you can't be the best, you have nothing. The pressure of perfection, it's a heavy burden, isn't it? You of all people would know, isn't that right _Ari?_ " Talon seemed to snap at that and jumped back to put some distance between them before she lost her composure. She was shaking, in fear or anger, Blue Jay couldn't tell from behind the girl's grinning mask.

"You're right," she conceded, her voice trembling, "I do fear disappointing others and yes, maybe I'm afraid of failing. We all have our shortcomings. I'm still struggling to accept my flaws too… But you're also wrong," she said with a newfound determination as she straightened to meet his eyes, "I sold my soul for this, knowing full well the price. If I have to give up everything to protect others, then I will gladly sacrifice my life to do so, but I won't go down without a fight. I'm not some fragile doll that's easy to control and break like you think."

With that, she crossed her hands above her head and brought them down. Memory's face connected with the floor with the motion and a sickening crack could be heard across the gym. She maneuvered around him as he was too dazed to use his quirk, weaving her hands in and out, and with one final definitive tug, Memory's limbs were tightly bound to his sides.

 _Zoom feature activated_

 _Analyzing… It appears that reinforced strands of Talon's hair had been netted together and sewn through Memory's tissue and muscle._

"Well damn," Blue Jay mused. Check both Memory and Blue Jay wrong for thinking Talon was a soft hearted girl.

With her surprising strength, Talon hauled his body with the near invisible strands and flung him against the wall. Memory hit the floor with a muffled grunt and simply groaned as he struggled in his binds.

"The match goes to Talon!" Ace declared.

Blue Jay was sure the girl was beaming behind her mask as she deactivated her quirk. Memory easily broke out of his restraints then and began to gingerly pull out the strands of bloody hair still lodged through his limbs. Blue Jay saw Bubbles shiver in disgust just at the sight.

"Okay debrief time," Ace called. Despite their little disagreement, Talon offered Memory a hand and helped him up. Once they joined the others, Ace looked between the two. "Let's start with the loser then. Memory, I'm going to be very blunt with you. Your combat and athletic abilities, or lack thereof, are atrocious. What we'll need to work on in this combat class is hand to hand combat, endurance, cardio and strength building, and you can bet your ass we're equipping you with gadgets and weapons. That is your biggest overall weakness, however, your biggest weakness for this match in particular was the same as Glass. You underestimated your opponent," he said, gesturing to Talon, "Don't ever write someone off as a non-threat. That's how agents die. While Glass underestimated Yuki's physical abilities, you underestimated Talon's mental fortitude, and while you're a smart kid, you didn't think that Talon had it in her to be ruthless enough to win. That mistake is what cost you the match, and if you're not careful it can end up costing you your life.

"Your biggest strength was your analytic skills, simply put. Even though you didn't have enough time to use the full extent of your quirk, you were able to deduce her pressure points from only a small glimpse of her memories. Had it been a more emotionally driven opponent like say, Glass for example, that tactic might have won you the match. Your tactic might have given you more of an edge if you were able to snag her from the start rather than right as you played into her trap, but again, your offensive skills are something we'll need to work on in the future. Another time, I'd like to see the full extent of your quirk, but for now, we'll need to train as if you're quirkless."

He turned to Talon then. "And you, very nice work with your quirk. It was hard to see what exactly you were doing at first when you were piercing his body with your hair, but that's what will make your quirk great for the field. Yes, you're quirk is great, but what really shined in this match was your strategy. It's a vast improvement from what you showed us during the entrance exam. You fumbled with strategy a bit during the first exam when put on a team, which gives me the impression you don't work well with others, so that will be something Akira will have to work on with you in his class. Otherwise, good job. You're the first student this year to exceed my expectations." He smiled and turned to the others. "The last match is Bubbles versus Blue Jay, you'll have five minutes to convene- uhtutut," he scolded Memory before he could get too far, "take off your mask."

With a sigh, the albino boy removed his white and blue mask, revealing a broken and severely bleeding nose underneath. "I was planning on going to the infirmary after this last match, sensei."

Ace hummed unimpressed. "Agents are like sharks. You can't hide the smell of blood from us. Talon, could you please escort Memory to the infirmary? You could stand to clean up some of those scrapes while you're there."

Blue Jay could tell the other girl wasn't happy, but didn't object as the two classmates left the facility. Without further ado, she turned back to Venus and planted herself on the ground.

 _Analyzing footage 1186, Exam 1…_

"What are you doing?" Venus asked skeptically.

"Multi-tasking," she deadpanned, her eyes blanker than usual as they flitted back and forth rapidly. "What's your input, oh goddess of love and beauty?"

 _Analyzing… Opponent E identified as Akia Kiyoraka. Code name: Bubbles_

 _Bubbles's quirk seems to be a soap-based quirk with slippery and cleansing properties that she can shoot from her forearms._

Venus rolled his eyes at the nickname, but got down to business. "Bubbles has shown so far to be one of the best quick-thinking and resourceful strategizers here. She knows her quirk and what she can do given her limitations. She'll be tough to beat, however, like Memory, she's also one of the students here severely lacking in athleticism and combat skills."

"I can see that," Blue Jay agreed as she watched Bubbles get winded from simply running away from Memory and his team during the exam. She seemed to heavily rely on her quirk for speed and transportation.

 _Analyzing… average running speed 8-10 mph, 13 mph at top speed, which is below average. With her quirk she averages up to 20 mph depending on her momentum._

"Her quirk is basically soap. Will your body be able to withstand that?"

"My head is in fact waterproof. No need to worry about suds frying my brain," she replied absentmindedly as she watched Bubbles knock the wind out of a lizard girl using the momentum of her quirk.

 _Analyzing… 250 pounds of force. Avoid hits to the midsection._

"Duly noted," she muttered to herself.

"What?"

"Nothing," Blue Jay hastily dismissed, "What's her training background? Do I need to worry about any surprises like Yuki and Talon?"

Venus shook his head. "I don't think there'll be any surprises in that regard. Bubbles has a family relation that works for a hero agency, though they aren't a hero themselves nor do they use their quirk offensively. As far as we know, she and her relations have no prior athletic or combat training, though Bubbles has proven to be quite clever and resourceful in tough situations. On the other hand, you don't have any prior training yourself. From the way you've been… _concerned_ about the running punishment, I would've figured you're not that athletic at all."

"No, but I should be able to beat her stats." She stood up and rolled her shoulders with a pop. "Got any other recommendations for me, oh wise one?"

"What Bubbles has going for her is that she's smart and clever. She has a natural affinity to adjusting to situations and the people around her. However, unlike the past spars, there's not necessarily a big discrepancy between brains and brawn in this match. You're quite intelligent as well, so as long as you're one step ahead, you should be fine."

"Oh I won't be able to outrun her if she's using her quirk to supplement," she commented offhandedly, "I only average 15 miles per hour, so no outrunning my opponent for me."

Venus hummed in ascension. "Well she relies heavily on her quirk for a lot of things, as I'm sure you've noticed. Travel, speed, offense, traps. However, she gets sick with an overuse of her quirk. She nearly threw up on her shoes after the exam." Huh, she must have missed that bit in the footage on her way out. "If you're in a pinch, you can drag the match out and easily outlast her with how much she uses her quirk. Do you have any other questions about her?"

She yawned and waved him off boredly. "Nah, just stand there and look pretty for now."

"Well we're currently tied so your team's fate lies on your shoulders now."

"If I could care any less, I'd forfeit just to spite that dickhead of a teammate of mine."

"Hmm," he playfully tapped his chin in thought, "what was that Aura said about working as a team?"

"Can't recall. I was too distracted by Madame R eviscerating him with how sharp her glare was."

"Time's up!" Ace hollered boredly, "Fighters at the ready!"

"Too bad we won't get a class audience," Blue Jay commented, stretching one last time.

"And why's that?"

"They won't get to imagine themselves in Bubble's place."

With that send off, she lazily saluted her team captain and headed off to meet her opponent. Bubbles met her at the center of the training ground. The floor was still littered in shards of glass and mask fragments, but she didn't see them being too much of a hinderance. Blue Jay stared back at the akaname mask that greeted her. A prescription glass filled in the eye holes of her mask to replace her glasses, slightly obscuring Bubbles's round blue eyes.

' _A mask based on a cleaning demon, how fitting.'_

"Fighters at the ready," Ace called. The two of them slid into a fighting stance.

 _Speed processing activated_

"Begin!"

In Blue Jay's eyes, the world moved just a bit slower. She processed as Bubbles shot a stream of soap at her and another at the floor. Had she been anyone else, she might have jumped back and then slipped on the landing, creating an opening. She ducked underneath the first stream and rushed into Bubbles's opening instead.

 _Analyzing. Applying Yuki's combat maneuvers._

Bubbles was not prepared as Blue Jay punched her in the stomach and then decked her across the face, sending her reeling. She managed to use her soap to slide away before the next hit, and her eyes widened when she saw Blue Jay's form.

"You're copying Yuki," she stated warily.

"Mm, ya something like that," Blue Jay muttered back, shaking off her throbbing hand.

Bubbles's eyes narrowed as she got a running start before gliding across the soapy floor. As she charged Blue Jay, the android dug her boot against the ground and kicked up the glass shards straight at her. Bubbles veered at the last second, but not before grabbing a handful of her trench coat and dragging her with her.

Swinging sharply around, Bubbles let physics fling Blue Jay across the grounds, but she was quick to catch herself on her feet by copying one of Talon's back handsprings. Almost threw out her shoulder in the process, but she was upright enough to dodge Bubbles's next attack at the last second. The pink and blue haired girl slid past her, but a wall of bubbles followed in her wake. In a manner of seconds, Blue Jay was surrounded in a mountain of pink and blue bubbles, unable to see her opponent.

 _Heat vision activated_

Jay rolled out of the way as Bubbles came speeding towards her. Following the path she blazed through, Blue Jay freed herself from the heap of bubbles, only to realize that she had covered a third of the training room in bubbles. Her brain was barely able to process as Bubbles snuck up on her again from behind. Blue Jay jumped as Bubbles slid under her in an attempt to sweep her legs out, but there was nothing she could do while in mid-air as she shot a flood of bubbles at her face. Blue Jay rolled away, swiping the accumulated soap from her glass eyes in annoyance. Her vision was blurry despite her efforts so she could analyze details anymore, but she would have to make due.

"Two can play at that game," she muttered under her breath.

She got a running start this time before using Bubbles's soap trail to increase her speed. In Blue Jay's mind's eye, Bubbles moved too slow to counter as she slammed her foot right between her eyes. Bubbles's screwed her eyes shut as the prescription lenses in her mask shattered.

Before she could react Blue Jay latched onto her arm and sent her careening down her own soap trail. She eventually managed to catch herself and narrowed her eyes at Blue Jay. Out of spite or simply due to poor vision, Blue Jay didn't know. She charged at Blue Jay again, but swerved around her while using her quirk, encircling the entire area around her in soap. Without any sort of running start, she would slip the second she stepped foot on it. If this was simply a capture exercise, Bubbles may have one, but the match was far from over.

Bubbles stood outside the circle, calculating her next move while Blue Jay patiently waited to see what her classmate would do next. At this point, they were both blurry blobs to each other and Blue Jay was unable to rely on her eyes to analyze in detail. She had to rely on her previous files, reflexes, and other senses now.

Whatever move Bubbles made now, it would have to be offensive. At the rate she's using her quirk just to get an upper hand, she'll want to end the match as soon as possible to avoid the noxious backlash from her quirk during the spar. Blue Jay was willing to bet that she had quicker reflexes than Bubbles though, and could counter what she dished.

Seeming to settle, Bubbles sprinted again before taking to the soapy ring. She barreled towards Blue Jay, only to whip around behind her at the last moment in order to catch her off guard. However, Blue Jay was ready for her. Just as Bubbles prepared a kick to the back, she ducked and swiped the girl's leg from under her, sending her in her back. Before she could recover, Blue Jay dragged her to a standing position by the hair. She hated stooping down to that, but there was literally nothing else to grab onto as Bubbles was covered in a layer of frictionless soap. Trying to pin her down would be completely useless at that point. Instead, Blue Jay stepped back before kneeing Bubbles in the gut. Luckily, she was quick enough to shove her aside as the girl emptied her stomach beside her. She choked on her bile, trying to vomit while her lungs also screamed for the air that had been forced out of her. All the while Blue Jay picked up a glass shard from the ground and held it at her neck while she was vulnerable.

"Blue Jay is the winner. Team Venus wins the match up," Ace announced before approaching the two of them. "How are you doing there, Bubbles?"

"I'll be," she rasped before falling into a coughing fit, "I'll be fine. Just... just give me a moment."

Blue Jay shifted her eyes dispassionately from her teammate to her teacher. "So how are we getting out of this soap moat?"

"Hmm, good question," Ace pondered thoughtfully before snapping his fingers, "I've got just the thing. Everyone filter out. Not you two obviously."

She watched as the teachers and TAs exited the facility from the upper balcony. Out of harm's way, Ace fished something Blue Jay was unable to see from his suit jacket and threw it with impressive force towards the ceiling. The following explosion caused the sprinklers to go off, immediately drenching the two girls from head to toe and washing away the soap around them, though it ended up becoming a mountain of bubbles they had to wade through. Once the sprinklers finally shut off, the gymnasium looked positively wrecked, but at least the water washed out the soap in Blue Jay's eyes. That soap was some pretty strong stuff as she had to admit her eyes were never clearer. Everyone else in the meantime descended back down to finish the debrief.

"You two look a little worse for wear," Ace commented lightly, giving them both a once over, "we'll start with Bubbles then. Your biggest strength as evidenced by your entrance exam and the spar is your ability to think tactically at a moment's notice. You applied a lot of good strategies to this match, more so than anybody else today so kudos to you. However, your greatest weakness is similar to Memory's. You rely too heavily on your quirk to fight. While it's essential to know how to use your quirk, it has to work synergistically with hand to hand combat. I bet overuse of your quirk led to how easily you were taken down by Blue Jay in the end. For your case, we'll also need to work on strength and conditioning.

The blonde bespectacled man turned to Blue Jay then. "Blue Jay, your greatest strength is your quirk's ability to analyze. You were able to observe Bubbles's strengths and weaknesses, copy other people's fighting styles, and analyze movements to outmaneuver your opponent. Your biggest weakness was also relying too heavily on your quirk," he said as he glanced at her throbbing hand and caused her to wince when he palpate her shoulder, "by copying two students who have had years of training, you hurt yourself in the process because your body was unable to handle the strain. You also got sloppy at the end because Bubbles took out your eyes. You're sharp, but don't let your quirk do all the thinking for you. If someone were to take out your eyesight altogether, you'd be done for. We'll have to work on that later, but we'll start with strength and conditioning for now."

"You two have thirty minutes before my class," Aura barked, cold eyes trained on them now, "go get checked out by Recovery Girl. We'll be meeting back at the classroom."

Without a word, the two of them exited the facility, still dripping wet from the sprinkler system. Looking up the school's blueprints, Jai maneuvered them through the unfamiliar halls. They sure turned heads and caused a few whispers from the other UA students as they made their way to the infirmary.

"How did you know?" Akia asked tentatively after walking a few minutes in silence. Jai had hardly heard her, the girl was so quiet.

"You're going to have to speak up. How did I know what?"

"How my quirk worked and how to react," she said a little louder, albeit a bit forcefully as if she weren't used to it, "I didn't see you during the entrance exams and I doubt Venus could give you a complete run down in only five minutes. Bloodhound was only able to tell me so much about your quirk after all."

She shrugged. "My quirk is more complex than yours and would need more time to explain. It's simply a fact. While Venus did a decent job of giving me some of your strengths and weaknesses, I was able to look back at the exam footage I saved to analyze your quirk and movements." The soap girl stiffened and didn't reply, but Jai eyed her in mild curiosity. "Let me ask a question now. Why do you dislike heroes? Doesn't someone related to you work at a hero agency?"

Akia ducked her head, avoiding her eyes. "But it's because of that exposure that I see what many heroes are like," her voice grew small once more as she seemed to cave into herself, "i-it's not that I don't like heroes in general. They fend off villains and that does the world a lot of good. However, I don't like when they choose to be heroes for fame, glory, and fortune. They're brainwashed with this sort of ideology that they can do no wrong or that they are somehow above those they claim to protect as if they are gods themselves. I've seen plenty of heroes boast about their victories as if they were shining achievements all while ignoring the graves that were left behind in the crossfire. Others drop their public masks the second they step into the agency only to walk all over those below them. So let me ask you, Jai," she said, turning to her with a firmer disposition, "is someone truly a hero if their heroism is conditional?"

Jai blinked, before turning forward as they finally arrived at their destination. "Touché."

* * *

Ginko perked up as two more students piled into the infirmary. In a similar style to the other students in 1-L, the pair were dressed in an eccentric yet deadly looking fashion with masks covering their faces. What an odd bunch, she thought to herself before perking up once more.

 **-/-**

 **Name: Sugiyama Ginko**

 **Hero name: Ozaki**

 **Age: 14**

 **Quirk: Dust**

 **Ginko is able to manipulate and mold nearby dust particles, allowing her to move heavy objects or create weapons.**

-/-

"Hey!" she shouted, waving madly to catch the attention of the girl with the scary mask, "we match!" She beamed as she held up the ends of her own pleated blue, pink, and white hair.

Ginko pouted as the girl quickly turned away to meet her classmates that had somehow sequestered themselves into the back corner of the room. There was one boy who had woken up not too long ago. She had watched as Recovery Girl picked out shards of glass out of his skin and clean him up while he was out. Smart choice if she said so herself. A pretty lady with white hair unceremoniously dumped another boy into a bed and he immediately startled awake as if he were simply sleeping. Then came another and another. If she remembered correctly, the Special Activities Department was new to UA and only had six students. It was really unfortunate that they all were in the infirmary already.

Seeing that the others had discarded their masks, the newcomers removed theirs as well. "Why are you guys soaking wet?" the blonde boy asked incredulously.

"Ace thought it'd be a great idea to set off the sprinklers to get us out of a messy situation," the blue-haired girl deadpanned while making herself at home on one of the beds despite her clothes.

"You two, come here," Recover Girl snapped hastily, "really, the Special Activities Department sending me all their students. What do they have you doing?"

"That's what we're all wondering," Daichi muttered under his breath beside her. He had gotten anemic from the athletic test with Aizawa and had to come to the infirmary for iron supplements. Ginko and her other classmate, Oboru, had escorted him when he nearly fainted after the last test. At least he wasn't in last place and didn't have to worry about expulsion.

-/-

 **Name: Kuroo Daichi**

 **Hero name: Devil**

 **Age: 15**

 **Quirk: Blade**

 **Daichi has the ability to manifest metal from his body by using the iron stores in his body. With this, he is able to fashion blades at a moment's notice.**

-/-

Reluctantly, the two other girls went to see her, leaving Ginko and a few of her other classmates to stare curiously at the new class. The pretty blonde boy suddenly snapped his gaze to them and frowned. "Are you going to continue gawking at us or do you actually have something better to do?"

"What was that, pip squeak?" Daichi challenged.

"Hi, I'm Aria," the brunette girl quickly interjected in attempt to diffuse the situation, "are you guys from the Heroics Department then?"

"Yeah of course," Daichi replied smoothly with a winning grin, a complete one-eighty from his sharp tone with the other boy. Ginko almost rolled her eyes with how thick he was laying on the charm. Oboru, the bird boy beside her, actually did roll his eyes. "I'm Daichi by the way."

"What are you wearing?" Mirai deadpanned beside Ginko, spooking her.

-/-

 **Name: Kemuri Mirai**

 **Hero name: Smoke**

 **Age: 14**

 **Quirk: Smokey**

 **Mirai is able to turn her body into a black, intangible smoke. While in this form, she can phase through solid structures and fly.**

-/-

"Mirai! When did you get here?" Ginko startled, nearly jumping out of her skin.

"Just now. Aizawa-sensei told me to come here to, as I quote, 'check on those useless brats because they're taking too long,'" Mirai told her in her tired and flat tone, before turning back to the other students, "are you… doing a play?"

The room went completely silent and blondey's eye twitched. "What?"

"You know… since you're in the Special Activities Department. You guys do... special activities right? So is that why you're dressed weirdly?"

"Wha-" the kid almost went off before a cute silver haired boy with red eyes slapped his hand over his mouth and gave them a charming smile.

"Something like that. Each of us have our own specialties and we're learning to use our quirks to help us improve in our respective fields. We seem to be a bit clumsy though and I guess today's just not our lucky day."

"Yes, it seems we've been having a lot of accidents since we're just getting used to each other's quirks," Aria added as well with a small but sweet smile.

"Well, I guess that's understandable, since you all aren't used to using your quirks to fight villains like us," Daichi said, causing a couple of them to not so subtly glare at him, not that he noticed but it was really starting to make Ginko uncomfortable. In contrast, a boy with dog ears standing off to the side seemed to find the whole situation humorous. "But that's okay ya know? UA is pretty competitive and the hero course is pretty selective with who gets in, so don't feel too bad about not getting in. You never know, you might just win yourself a spot in our class if you work hard during the sports festival. Don't feel too bad if you don't get in though. Not everyone's cut out to be a hero."

"We aren't here for the Heroics Program," blondey gritted out.

He snorted, "Who isn't here for the Heroics Program? I'm pretty sure I saw that guy at the heroes entrance exam too," he said, nodding towards the albino boy.

"You can say I found another calling," the boy in question replied with a smile that was a tad bit too tight.

"Ignore him," Oboru cut in from his spot on the bed, "he's not exactly the most tactful."

-/-

 **Name: Namikawa Oboru**

 **Hero name: Jetstream**

 **Age: 14**

 **Quirk: Aviary**

 **Oboru has a mutation-type quirk that gives him a more bird-like appearance and features including golden brown feathered wings, enhanced vision, talons, and a potentially damaging high-pitched shriek.**

-/-

"I can see that," the blue-haired girl muttered as she and the other girl rejoined their group.

"We're all the same age so we'll be going through UA together. Let's introduce ourselves," Aria cut in graciously once more, "you already know my name. This is Suzuno and Naoya, the boy with the dog ears is Hiroyuki, and these two are Jai and Akia."

"I'm Ginko!" she replied excitedly, jumping on the opportunity to make new friends, "and this is Daichi, Oboru, and Mirai. We're all from class 1-A. We actually just got done with a physical aptitude test when this guy nearly fainted from quirk overuse."

"Are you sure _you_ are cut out to be a hero?" Suzuno questioned challengingly with a raised eyebrow, "I don't know if I'd trust a hero who faints on the job to protect others let alone himself. But you're right in one thing. I'm sure they'll be a spot open in class 1-A pretty soon. So, do you want to bet that you'll flunk before or after the sports festival?"

Daichi's face contorted with rage as he jumped to his feet, and a blade shot out into his palm. "Why you little shit!" He threw it with remarkable speed, and none of the students in 1-A were quick enough to stop him, but Suzuno caught it in a wall of glass at the last second. Not one student in 1-L flinched or even looked remotely bothered, which sent Ginko a little off kilter. The six of them were so enigmatic.

"No need to get mad. Not everyone's cut out to be a hero after all." Suzuno's glass melted away as he inspected the knife. "Anemic? It's probably because you use your iron stores to create blades out of your body. How's that working for you?"

With a growl, Daichi tried to throw another blade but suddenly found himself unable to do so and looked at his palm in confusion. "What the fuck?"

"That's enough Kuroo Daichi," Eraserhead deadpanned from the doorway, glowing red eyes trained on the black-haired boy, "do you make it a point to attack people trying to recover? I suggest you pick a different profession if that's the case."

The boy glared back at him with just as much venom. "This wannabe was asking for it. I don't need my quirk to beat him anywa- what the fu-mf!" Eraserhead wrapped the struggling boy in his bandages, making sure to shut his mouth in the process before dragging his writhing body behind him.

"Please, give your department head my apologies with the trouble this brat has caused you. Although," he slid his eyes towards Suzuno, "you should know better than to provoke others. Next time you might not be so lucky." Suzuno frowned as Aizawa motioned for the others to follow. "This isn't a break. We're heading back to class. Now."

"Y-yes Aizawa-sensei!" Ginko quickly replied, jumping up from her spot and bowing in front of class 1-L, "sorry about that. I hope we can meet again on better terms!"

"Of course!" Aria beamed, "maybe we can hangout sometime."

The girl nearly had stars in her eyes. "For sure!" She waved as she followed the rest of her classmates out. "See you later!"

"They're definitely an odd group," Oboru commented offhandedly once they were out of earshot, stretching his sore muscles all the while.

"That one kid has fast reflexes," Mirai pitched in her observation as well, "it's too bad. He might have done well in our program."

"Maybe if they're lucky, they'll make it into the tournament at the sports festival and we can spar with them."

"I think they're all pretty cool! Kind of mysterious, but isn't that the best part?" Ginko turned to Aizawa at that. "Will the Special Activities Department be participating in the sports festival this year then? They are a small class after all."

He paused in thought but nodded. "All classes at UA will be participating per tradition, so I'm sure you'll see them again."

Daichi wrestled his way out of his bonds enough to free his mouth. "Then I'll have an excuse to pummel that snob into the ground."

"I wouldn't underestimate them if I were you."

"Why? They're not even in the Heroics Department!"

He didn't deign him with a response as they entered the classroom and he unraveled Daichi unceremoniously across the floor.

"You say that as if only heroes know how to fight. Now get back to your seats. I'm starting class."

Everyone quickly scrambled for their desks and even Daichi reluctantly slunk off despite wanting to continue the conversation. As class began, no one dared to acknowledge the single empty desk in the room.

* * *

 **A/N: Guys I'm not dead just completely swamped and also an awful human being. Sorry for the very, very long wait! The chapter ended up being longer than I anticipated due to the nature of covering three spars. I promise I'll try to do better! So question time!**

 **1\. Who's POV do you want next? Akia/Bubbles, Suzuno/Glass, or Hiroyuki/Yuki? It'll be the Investigation class next!**

 **2\. Which class would you want to see after? Strategy or Interrogation?**

 **3\. What do you think of class 1-A? I know I didn't have a lot of time with them, but I promise that they'll show up again pretty soon!**

 **Also, I'm going to do this thing where I touch up on characters that I focused on for the chapter. I know I missed Naoya, Bloodhound, Venus, and Aria, but I'll eventually circle back to their point of view.**

 **Blue Jay is definitely one of the most fun characters to write. She's got this strong but completely stoic personality with just the right amount of dry humor to get her though the day. Her quirk and its potential is also super fun to explore too, and honestly, she just has a ton of potential to grow as an agent and as a character. I've got good stuff planned for her, just you wait.**

 **Ginko is our first hero perspective that we get and I specifically chose her because her personality is a stark contrast to Blue Jay's. She's fun, bubbly, and adds more of a lighthearted atmosphere to the situation, mimicking the more inspiring and hopeful heroes program. I didn't get to touch up on her or show off her character as much as I wanted, but I'll be exploring her character more once we get the school year rolling.**

 **Also! I put up a forum with character bios and a Q &A if you want to check it out! The link is in my bio! The wonderful Altomi also did some fanart of class 1-L too so give them lots of praise for their work! It looks great!**


	6. The Yellow Wallpaper Torn Down

_"There are things in that paper that nobody knows but me, or ever will."_

 _\- The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman_

 **The Yellow Wallpaper Torn Down**

Seated between Jai and Aria, Akia quietly sat in her desk, now donning a dry UA uniform. She'd be lying if she said she didn't hurt all over, that she didn't feel the stiffness between her shoulders, the ache in her arms, or the burning in her thighs. She was no athlete, but she knew for a fact that getting up tomorrow morning would be near impossible only to repeat the strenuous routine. She knew this road wouldn't be easy though, and she had long submitted to her decision to become an agent.

It was the first day of class and as such, she had her first proper interactions with her classmates. Well, she wouldn't say proper. They were all so withholding and guarded, like strongholds with fortified walls. Because of this, she didn't know what to think. She was always so used to being the one who'd fall into the background, outshined by other's exuberance and personalities, and yet, it seemed like her classmates all willing exiled themselves from each other. It was an entirely new situation and Akia didn't know what to make of it.

On the outside, Hiroyuki and Naoya seemed nice enough. The tiger-dog boy was lighthearted and nonchalant and Naoya could almost be charming. For most others, the natural thing would be to gravitate towards them. From her short interactions with Hiroyuki and Naoya during Ace's lesson though, she could tell something just wasn't quite right. She had always been a quiet girl, as 'meek as a mouse' some would say, but she was observant and her sharp eyes picked up on things most others overlooked. Perhaps it was the lack of empathy Hiroyuki had according to Venus or the way he didn't seem to waver from his pleasant mood even when blood had been spilt. Maybe it was the way Naoya's smile was a little too perfect, his reactions and gestures too calculated, the way his eyes devoured the world around him with a sharp intensity, or how his practiced smiles never quite genuinely lit up his eyes. For whatever reason, Akia knew that she couldn't fully trust them. She wasn't sure if she ever could.

Jai and Suzuno were probably the most forthcoming, though for completely different reasons. Suzuno was arrogant and as such, had nothing to hide while Jai simply didn't seem to care what others thought of her. Aria seemed like a nice girl, probably the most personable and 'normal' out of all of them. She easily adapted to social situations and was passionate about her morals, and yet, she still held others at a polite distance. Akia found that Aria was more than willing to give her life for others, but hesitated to give herself to others.

This was all in contrast to class 1-A whom they briefly met in the infirmary not ten minutes ago. They were so open, so honest, so… much. Akia was more familiar with these types, having grown up with these kinds of people. She let them run the show while simply blending into the wallpaper. She was familiar with the wallpaper. It was her comfort zone. Now she felt so exposed, so bare. Her walls had been stripped of that wallpaper and now there was nowhere to hide. For any of them. It was only a matter of time until someone saw through them and broke down their walls. Akia feared it would be sooner rather than later.

It wasn't long until Aura waltzed into the room followed by Delphi. In comparison to Madame Rouge with her composed smiles and Ace's casual demeanor, the two teachers before them looked so severe with their hardened expressions and sharp features. Aura leaned back against the front desk and laced his long, spindly fingers together in thought as he seemed to search for an answer in their faces. Delphi took up residence beside him, her unwavering stare practically dissecting them on the spot. After several tense moments in silence, Akia practically had to dig her nails into her palms to keep from squirming under their gaze.

Aura, seeming to come to a conclusion, sat up straighter and threw his body up in a sudden burst of energy as he walzed right past her desk, startling everyone. "Let's play a game. We're going to play Murder."

And just like that, the world melted away and the six of them fell on their back sides as their desks disappeared. Pushing herself up with a groan, Akia looked around her new surroundings. They seemed to be in someone's apartment. The lights from the small kitchen were warm but dim, casting an orange glow across what looked to be the living room, or rather, what should have been a living room. It looked more like an archive. Shelves that reached the ceiling lined every available wall, each packed to the brink with old tomes. Stacks of texts reaching as high as her waist littered the floor and side tables. Instead of flowers and paintings, various types of magnifying glasses, stray folders, and posted notes decorated the available spaces. Aura made himself at home in the middle of it all, lounging in an old dark leather chair as he looked at them expectantly.

"Where are we?" Aria was the first to speak, though it was more of an escaping thought of awe rather than a conscious effort as she spun around herself to study her surroundings.

"Welcome to my home. The location is otherwise disclosed. You can thank Delphi for that."

As if to check this, Suzuno opened one of the heavy curtains to reveal a dimly lit street but beyond that was nothing but black void. "This is just like the second exams. It's an illusion though a very vivid one."

"Oh?"

The blonde boy turned back to them. "Isn't it obvious? She didn't take into account the sun's movements. It should have been lower during the second exam."

Aura hummed at that. "I might make an intellectual out of you yet. Welcome to Investigation 101," he said with a flippant wave of his hand, "now onto our first lesson. One of you will be the murderer while the others will be the investigators. The murderer's role is to commit the crime and then be able to blend in with the other investigators. The investigators will then try to figure out who the murderer is among the six of you. All we have left to do is decide who the murderer is. You will find six playing cards on the kitchen counter. The one who pulls the joker will be our culprit."

As soon as he announced this, six playing cards suddenly appeared on the counter in a neat row, startling Akia. This whole dreamworld was like some kind of eerie fun house. Hesitantly, they each looked at each other before reaching for a card. Already, their game faces were on and each student was just as suspicious as the next, carefully gauging each other's reactions to their respective cards. Akia, having long mastered her poker face, didn't react when the joker's face, twisted grotesquely in a fit of laughter, stared back at her mockingly.

"Who will be the victim then?" Hiroyuki asked casually after returning his card.

"I am," Aura replied, his voice and presence suddenly beside them, making nearly all of them jump at the intrusion. Akia's eyes darted from this Aura to the other Aura that was still seated in his chair, quietly reading a book and drinking a steaming cup of tea. The sudden reality-defying changes were dizzying and practically giving her whiplash. The dark-haired man crossed the room with his long strides and opened the front door, which led into an empty white room. "All the doors in this apartment will lead to a room like this. You each will exit the apartment through separate doors. At the first bell the murderer will return to finish the job, and once you hear the ringing of the second bell, that means the rest of you can return to play the game. Sound easy enough?"

Aria was the first to take a tentative step forward. She crossed into the white room before looking back at the rest of them and closing the door behind her with a sense of finality. Naoya quickly turned back towards the corridor and exited through the bedroom door, Jai left through the bathroom, Suzuno squeezed through the slim linen closet door, and Yuki left through the pantry. They each moved so fast that once Akia looked around she found there were no more doors left. She looked to her teacher for help, but Aura merely gave an uncaring shrug. Having no other option, Akia had to think outside the box.

"Every door leads to another room," she muttered to herself as she crouched down in front of one of the kitchen cupboards. In theory, it should work. It was technically a door after all. Surely enough, the cupboard led to a white room.

She managed to crawl through the cupboard door. It seemed as if door size was proportional to room size. Her white room was cramped, just big enough for her to crawl through, turn, and stiffly sit. Even then, she couldn't sit at her full height and had to tuck her head. It was almost made her feel claustrophobic.

Of course it was only when she got situated that the first bell went off. A grandfather clock chimed beyond the door, and eager to escape the room, Akia didn't need further prompting to leave. Tumbling out of the cupboard, Akia found the source of the noise to be an old grandfather clock in the living room. Aura was waiting expectantly, leaning against the chair his doppelgänger occupied, though the clone seemed to be in a world of his own, oblivious to his surroundings.

"So it seems that you're our murderer," Aura commented absently. He twirled his hand and a folder manifested out of thin air for him, which he handed to her. "You are a double agent. After graduating the academy, you went into the Department of Intelligence where you work as an investigator. That doesn't mean you don't have the abilities to kill though. As a double agent, you were sent to kill me, but in a way that will still allow you to work as an agent. However, the agency knows there's a mole and anyone can be suspect. You'll have to be crafty to get past the other investigators all while investigating the murder scene you yourself caused. Inside the folder you will find my basic file."

Akia penned through the pages, scanning over the data with interest. According to these records, Aura has been the head of the Investigation Division for the past fourteen years and has been with the agency for eighteen. There wasn't much else about the cold man though, just the basics.

 **—/—**

 **Quirk: Nirvana.**

 **All of Aura's senses are heightened, which greatly aids his work as an investigation specialist. He is able to hear incredibly high, low, and far-away pitches, see heat signatures and heat signature remnants, feel the slightest movement through displaced air movement, taste and break down components of a substance, and smell and discern different scents and their components.**

 **—/—**

Without as much as a warning, Aura ushered her towards the front door that Aria had exited, only this time, the door led straight out into the lamp-lit street. In this made up world, the only thing that existed other than the void was the street, a single street lamp, and the old brick apartment complex. There wasn't even a sky to speak of. Just black, black darkness. Perhaps it was true that when you stare into the void, the void stares back.

Aura snapped up the folder, and just as fast as it appeared, it disappeared in a blink of an eye. "So how would you do it?"

"Do what?" Akia asked, still a bit dazed by this unsettling illusion.

He rolled his eyes at her. "Murder me. Do keep up, Miss Kiyoraka."

"I-I have to murder you?"

"Well that's the point of the game isn't it? How else will they figure out who murdered me if it's already done for you?" he stated condescendingly. He sighed in exasperation. "Let me set the scene. The time is 2400. For the past month, you have monitored my movements and my schedule. You managed to track me back to my apartment. You can bring anything with you to kill me with. You're only limited to your imagination, however, I won't go easy on you."

Akia frowned in thought before looking up to his apartment window. "Will I ever have to kill someone as an agent?"

"Is that a problem?" he challenged with a raised brow.

"No, no I'll do it," Akia appeased with a furrowed brow, "I've just never done something like… this before and I didn't really picture myself carrying out these kind of assignments as an agent."

"As an agent, you may come across a time where you will be given orders to covertly snuff out another human life based on your connections or have to defend yourself from an attacker. It's kill or be killed so we prepare all our agents in combat for this possibility. Of course, the vast majority of our agents in the Department of Intelligence never have to use their combat training. For your class in particular, I found this game the most suitable."

"How so?"

"While I am introducing the idea of investigation to all of you, this game also allows you to get your hands dirty in a controlled environment. Despite the fact that you readily agreed to kill me, you've said yourself that you have never killed a man before. How will you react to your first kill? Will you freeze or hesitate? Will you gag at the smell of burnt flesh or the feeling of warm blood through your fingers? With this exercise, not only am I training you to be efficient investigators, I'm training you to be efficient killers."

"That sounds a bit dark, doesn't it?" Akia replied carefully, unsure if she liked the sound of that. Being a killer - a murderer - without having any sort of justification other than a superior's word made her feel dirty. It made her feel like a villain or perhaps even worse. The very thought made her skin crawl and she had a sudden urge to scratch at her skin. At such a blatant disregard for life, she had to question if she placed her good intentions into the right hands by joining the agency.

He merely shrugged off her concern without a care. "Better an efficient killer than a dead agent. To better understand a villain, you need to think like a villain. So tell me, how will you do it then?"

"Well, I'd have no reason to betray the agency for one," Akia grumbled.

Aura sighed at that, staring beseechingly at the dark sky. "Okay fine, I'll cater to your morals, but only this once. The point of investigation is to get inside the villain's head so after this lesson, I will not humor you. I will give you another likely scenario instead. Say I was the double agent and you were given a covert mission by the higher ups to do away with me. It's supposed to be a quiet kill and no one is supposed to know that it was staged within the agency, lest doubt in the agency should spread. So I'll ask again, how would you do it?"

She thought for a moment, running through different scenarios in her head. "Based on your quirk description, you would hear or smell me coming a mile away. It would be impossible to have the element of surprise, but perhaps I don't need it," she thought aloud. She thought back to the many, many books she scoured in her childhood, trying to find something that would work. "I need thallium." As soon as she voiced this, a small bag of silvery powder appeared at her feet, which she gingerly picked up and slipped up her sleeve.

"Ah, thallium - long-acting, odorless, and tasteless. A good pick as far as poisons go," Aura commented wryly, "now how will you proceed?"

And just like that, he disappeared, leaving Akia alone on the eerily darkened street. She looked around before looking back up at the apartment window. Her heart was beating in her ears, she took a deep breath and forced herself to enter the building before she lost her nerve. It was dusty, dark, and creaky and only the faint sound of late night television could be heard through the heavy doors of the other residents. Akia eventually found herself standing outside apartment 12B, knowing that Aura was just beyond the door. Before she could even knock though, Aura opened the door.

"Agent Bubbles," the man deadpanned, looking not too pleased, "how did you find my apartment?"

"I-I, um…" Akia stumbled clumsily, wringing her hands awkwardly all the while. She had already come to the conclusion that she'd be bad at espionage because she was hardly an actress. She wasn't like Hiroyuki, Naoya, or Aria who had a natural charm or like Jai and Suzuno who could lie without batting an eye. She had gotten past the grueling entrance exams and her first two classes that worked her to the bone, but in this moment, she really felt the weight of the situation.

She was completely out of her depth.

Aura had the audacity to roll his eyes at her before slamming the door in her face and she was completely unprepared to find herself once again at the front door of the complex. Akia inwardly winced at how quickly she had flubbed the exercise. Out of everyone, why did she have to go first? She wasn't prepared for this. Any of this. With a tired sigh, she straightened and tried again. She had already made up her mind when she joined the Special Activities Department. She couldn't go back now so the only option left was to go forward, even if she was going in blind.

She climbed the stairs silently as the familiar sounds of the residents filtered through the air, brainstorming what to say to Aura over and over. She was never good with social interactions, let alone simulations where she had to pretend to be someone she's not. It just felt so fake and inherently wrong, but what could she do about it? She had never felt so stupid and useless in her entire life. She knocked on Aura's apartment door and had to keep herself from fidgeting on the spot again. As if she merely went back in time, Aura opened his apartment door with a readied frown.

"Agent Bubbles. How did you find my apartment?" he demanded again like a broken record.

Akia swallowed nervously, but went on with her plan. "I've been keeping tabs on you and followed you back from headquarters." He eyed her suspiciously but didn't immediately kick her back to the curb so she continued. "I know what kind of business you've entangled yourself in."

He raised an unimpressed eyebrow at this but subtly fell into a defensive stance. "And what kind of business is that?"

"I think you know, and I want in," Akia said firmly, trying her best to seem sure and intimidating, but she couldn't keep her voice from wavering at the end.

He simply observed her for a moment before opening the door for her to come in. Closing the door behind her with a sense of finality, he strode past her into the kitchen. "Take a seat. Can I make you some tea? I'm afraid I only have earl grey. I don't usually expect guests, especially in the dead of the night."

She tried not to flinch at the jab and slid onto the bar stool at the kitchen counter as she watched his movements. "Yes, tea would be lovely."

"You musn't be so formal if you really know what I've been doing."

"Must I?" she countered, pinching a small amount of the silvery-white powder between her fingers while his back was turned, "I like to maintain a certain level of professionalism."

He loudly guffawed at that, a cold and startling sound that sharply contrasted their otherwise low and civil conversation. "Professionalism?" he stalked menacingly towards her then and leaned so far across the counter that their faces were a mere inch apart. It took everything in her not to cower away from his approach. She was well aware that this man was a trained agent with far more years of experience and had the power to kill her on the spot if he so wished. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't terrified of this intimidating man at that moment as he snarled in her face. "I wouldn't call betraying the agency at all professional, _Agent_ _Bubbles_."

"S-so you _do_ know what I'm talking about then... Well I wouldn't really consider the agency professional either. Would you?" she managed to say, struggling through her facade, "they strip children of their innocence and raise them to be killing machines or obedient dogs meant to do their bidding, and for what? Peace? Where were they during the One for All crisis? Where were they when the Symbol of Peace could no longer protect our people? The agency has taken so much from us and we see _nothing_. So you tell me, Agent Aura, is the price we pay truly worth the so called peace we were promised?"

He straightened as he tried to gauge how genuine her words were. The sound of the kettle shrieking cut through the tense silence, though her pounding heart seemed even louder to her. She absolutely knew he could hear it with his heightened senses too. Wordlessly, he turned away to methodically retrieve two teacups and pour the tea. "How do you take your tea?"

"Do you have any milk?" she asked tentatively.

When he wordlessly turned back to the fridge, Akia sprinkled a little bit of the thallium into his tea and silently stirred it in. He returned with the milk and poured a bit in hers and some in his cup as well. Quietly, she sipped hers and watched anxiously as he blew on his cup. Before he could drink from it though, he set his cup down and looked across the apartment.

"What the agency has given me is this," he gestured and Akia followed his line of sight across the room, "this cold, empty room. My life has been sacrificed for my work. I have no family, no friends, no loved ones to call my own, no photos to capture happiness or commemorate the years that have passed me by. I've given so much of myself for this cause to the point where I haven't truly lived, and for what? I have nothing to show for but this apartment that is as cold and dead as the corpses I study… but that isn't why I'm upset." His grip on his tea cup tightened to the point Akia could hear the porcelain strain beneath his fingers. "What would _you_ know of true loss, Agent Bubbles? _You_ who came from a stable household. _You_ who chose this way of life like some naive child wanting to play cops and robbers." His voice dropped dangerously low as his gaze seemed to burn with rage. "You could _never_ understand what they've taken from me."

Akia tried to remain calm in the tense situation. Despite knowing that this was only a lesson, she couldn't help but wonder if this was how he truly felt. "It was never about me or any kind of personal suffering. This is about the people I swore to protect and the agency has turned up short on their end of the bargain."

"The ones you swore to protect huh?" he muttered bitterly to himself, "I suppose we're not too different after all. Surely you understand my motives then, Kiyoraka Akia. If someone were to offer you everything the agency has failed to deliver, would you take it?"

"In a heartbeat," she replied evenly, locking eyes with him once more.

A small smirk spread across his face as he lifted his cup in acknowledgment. "Well said."

The both drank from their cups. After finishing her drink, Akia gingerly placed her teacup on the counter and stood. "I must be going, but know that I'm interested in joining your cause."

He hummed pleasantly. "And I'm sure you'll keep this information to yourself."

"Of co-" Akia choked as she coughed into her hand. The smell of iron filled her nose and suffocated her lungs as a large clot of blood passed her lips. She fell to the floor, trying to regain her breath only to aspirate on her own blood.

"Hmm, fascinating," Aura commented from the kitchen counter as she left scratch marks against the wooden floor, "I always wondered what the effects would be like on a human subject. It can't be too pleasant for you. It's a poison I've been developing for the past couple years, though I've only been authorized by the agency to test it on mice. I call it the Executioner's Farwell. Bloody and messy, yet quick and efficient. You're more likely to die from the lack of oxygen before blood loss," he pondered aloud as he crossed the room until he was crouching beside her, "you're not a very good liar, Agent Bubbles. I suppose that's not your fault though. It's the agency's for sending a child to snuff out a veteran. _Another_ stain on the agency's ledger." Akia could barely make out what he was saying anymore as the world grew fuzzy as the lack of oxygen was slowly strangling her. "It shouldn't be too long now. Goodbye, Agent Bubbles."

Akia's eyes shot open as she raggedly gasped for air. She was staring up at the impossibly black sky again and it took a moment before she could fully regain her bearings. She was lying on her back in the middle of the street while Aura stood above her, looking out into the distance. Compared to his earlier flippant and cold demeanor, he looked almost somber and pensive and the tired circles under his eyes made him seem so much older in the lamplight.

"Well I did say I wouldn't make it easy for you," he commented before offering her a hand, "it was an admirable first try though. I've seen sloppier attempts from seasoned agents."

"H-how did you know?" she rasped, massaging the phantom pain from her throat.

"Easy. I can hear your heartbeat. While you do bring up rather interesting points as to why someone would turn against the agency, your heartbeat stutters whenever you lie. While your loyalty is commendable, it was a dead giveaway when you lied about betraying the agency for a way out. I was also able to smell the components of the thallium and I keep an antidote on hand. If any of the other teachers were stupid enough to eat or drink anything around you, that bit might have gone unnoticed since the poison is otherwise tasteless and odorless, but my nose is strong enough to distinguish the compound from the rest of the tea. It's not my first time working with thallium nor is it my first time someone's tried to poison me with it."

"Was it completely necessary to poison me though?"

"Consider this a prime example of why you never let your guard down in front of your enemies. I poisoned your cup when you turned to look at the room. I simply took my role in this scenario seriously. I suggest you do the same, lest we spend the entire day here."

"What's the longest someone has taken in this game?" Akia asked curiously as she dusted off her uniform.

"Five days," he replied evenly, "for your classmates' sakes, I hope you don't make a new record or else they'll be in their rooms for a long time." He turned away and lounged on the bench outside the apartment. "Take your time to make your next plan of attack."

Akia took her glasses off and pinched the bridge of her nose. She was still trembling from the aftershocks of the poisoning and needed to properly collect her thoughts.

God this was such a vivid illusion.

' _Okay, Akia, think,'_ she internalized, ' _So I can't lie. I can't sneak up on him. I can't poison him. If I were to use a long-range weapon or explosive, he would either sense me or smell the chemical components before I could use them… But he's an intelligence agent, not a field agent. He'll have some combat experience, but being the head of the Investigation Division, his strong suit obviously lies in Investigation. Perhaps by making a physical attack, I can overpower him, maybe even use his quirk against him. I can't use my quirk though unless it's for cleaning up evidence. It would be too obvious who the culprit is otherwise. I need a plan…'_

"Okay," she finally said at length, "I'm ready."

Turning around, she found that Aura was once again gone and that she was alone. Though Delphi was nowhere in sight, Akia figured that the young teacher had eyes and ears everywhere.

"Delphi, I need a training uniform, a ski mask, prescription goggles, hand grenades, stun grenades, garotte wire, grip gloves, bolas, and two pistols."

Like some kind of magical genie, Delphi equipped her with her requested items without so much as a warning and Akia stumbled with the weight of the new weaponry on her person. Her heart was racing in anticipation as she zeroed in on the apartment again. She was never one to head on confront her problems, but her protective wallpaper had long been stripped away. The seemingly oblivious Aura lounging in the living room would sense her approach regardless. If he could escape her was another question.

With the aid of her gloves, she began scaling the building. Securing a hold on the top edge lining of the curtained window, Akia mentally prepared herself as she swung back and threw her momentum into the glass pane. Stumbling into the apartment, she barely had time to process her surroundings before a knife came flying her way. On pure instinct, she rolled out of the way and behind the chair he once occupied and armed herself with one of her guns. Pulling out the ring of the stun grenade with her teeth, she tossed it behind her and moved to stand as soon as a flash of light illuminated the room. However, she was not prepared for Aura's figure to cut through the light and aerial kick her to the ground.

Akia's head slammed against the wooden boards and despite her disorientation, she rolled away just in time to avoid a knife to the chest. However, it managed to cut deeply into her palm and she let out a sharp hiss. She jumped back to create more space between them and getting a better look at him, she noticed that his eyes were closed and watering. She was right. His quirk worked against him as his vision was overstimulated by the stun grenade, but she didn't account for his ability to adapt his other senses to locate her. She didn't have much time to think as Aura rushed her again.

 _He's fast..._

It wasn't smart of her to assume he would be rusty in combat by being in the Department of Intelligence. He moved like a trained soldier with deadly force and aim. She weakly blocked a powerful punch and a kick, but had the wind knocked out of her as he kneed her in the stomach full force. She dry heaved on the spot.

 _Why is this familiar…_

She shot bullets aimlessly in his direction, but he swiftly dodged every one without batting an eye. He moved in like a predator and she felt herself quickly losing control of the situation. Pulling out a grenade, she detonated it in the middle of the living room and jumped down the smoking hole into the apartment below. She hoped the explosion at least hindered his hearing too.

 _Where have I seen this before…_

The smoke and dust hadn't cleared but she could hear the sound of groans, screams, and children crying around her. She couldn't see through the dust as Aura suddenly seized her throat, ripped one of the handguns from her thigh, and shoved her away. Akia stumbled back until she hit the wall, still clutching her throbbing stomach. The smoke began to clear then and she could faintly make out a still body underneath the rubble and a screaming child clutching to his sobbing mother's skirt as they huddled in fear against the kitchen counter.

 _Oh yeah…_

She moved again as he shot at her. She ducked out from the apartment into the hallway then. However, she didn't expect several heads to poke out of their apartments at the sound of the explosion and the commotion. That small moment of hesitation almost killed her as a bullet grazed her shoulder and buried itself in the chest of a man in a robe who had just stepped out of his apartment door. She continued on. She couldn't afford to look back amongst the screams.

 _...He fights like Hiroyuki…_

For a practically blind and deaf man, he chased her down with more ferocity than anyone in her class had shown thus far. She stumbled into the stairwell and with Aura hot on her heels, she elected to jump down the center opening of the spiraling staircase and catch herself on the first floor railing.

 _All this death…_

She burst through the first floor door and ran down the corridor. By now, the residents of the apartment complex were in a mad panic, shoving each other back and forth as they tried to escape the building. It didn't take long for Aura to reach the first floor and shoot blindly in her general direction. Screams filled the air as the people around her fell to the ground. One of his bullets found its home in a woman's head beside her, spraying Akia in blood. The scent of foul iron hit her senses as she felt the warm liquid drip down her face and stream down her neck. In her own state of panic, Akia turned and shot in his direction. He merely dodged like before and the bullets instead hit the people beside him. She wanted to cry. She wanted to vomit. She didn't want to play this game anymore.

 _This is all my fault…_

Akia needed to get away from the crowd. She found herself pushing her way through another door leading into a long hallway of boilers and pipes. As soon as she heard the door slam open again, she slung the bolas at his feet, taking him by surprise and sending him to the ground. She clicked her pistol but all that she got was an empty magazine. Tossing her gun in frustration, she charged at him with garotte wire in hand. She latched onto his front, caught the wire around his neck, dug her boots into his shoulders, and pulled. He thrashed and clawed, and she screamed. She wailed like the civilians who screamed in terror at the sight of blood and death. She didn't relent even as his movements grew weaker and the wire dug into her own flesh. In the end, her screams turned to sobs as his body stopped moving.

Akia continued to sob even as she felt herself being transported to the asphalt outside the complex. She ripped off her mask and it was only then that she allowed herself to empty the contents of her stomach onto the concrete. She was hyper aware of the blood still on her skin and hair and she proceeded to use her quirk to scrub off all evidence of her sins from her body. Even when all of the red was gone, she hysterically continued to scratch and scratch in a vain attempt to rid the feeling of blood. She threatened to draw blood as her nails dug deep into her skin.

"That's enough," Aura stated beside her, "it's not real you know. It's merely a simulation."

"A simulation of what could happen," she said in kind. She knew she needed to compose herself but she wasn't sure she could. She was always used to being the calm one, the one who always had her head in stressful situations. This situation ripped her composure and sanity from her.

"You're not wrong, but would you rather make these mistakes in the real world?"

Twelve body bags suddenly appeared before her, all in a neat row and unzipped just enough to reveal their pale faces. The man in the apartment below who was smashed beyond recognition, the man down the hall in his bathrobe, a little girl with a mutation quirk who couldn't have been older than five, a girl who looked to be Akia's age… The last body was his own, his eyes wide and bloodshot set against a purple face, blood stained his white dress shirt, and an angry, red line crudely wrapped around his neck.

"I said earlier that I wondered how you would react to your first kill," he stated as she found herself transfixed on the bodies, "you're despairing, you're mourning, but most of all, you're _angry_. You feel angry and helpless and you took that out on me, but," he turned to pin her down with a hard stare, "you don't get to blame the villain for these deaths. You have no one to blame but yourself. Do not forget that it was due to your recklessness that these civilians died. Each of these deaths could have been prevented, and yet you drew the fight to them, you put them in harm's way, you even shot some of them with your shoddy aim. You completed the mission but at what cost? You have to have a better plan and consider the consequences of every action you make. Consider this your first real lesson as an agent."

"I didn't _know_."

"Of course you didn't know," he all but scoffed, "You're practically still a civilian yourself and a child at that. What would you know of death? This is first and foremost a learning experience. These experiences are meant to heavily impact you so that in the future, you know _better_. It's okay to fail, it's okay to make mistakes, it's okay to react the way you did. It's the human thing to do." He huffed as he walked back towards the building. "Besides, this already puts you ahead of four of your classmates in terms of experience, even if it's only a simulation."

 _'Four?'_ Akia wanted to ask, but thought better of it. She knew he wouldn't be giving her the answers that she was looking for anyway.

"Honestly, I don't see what I've gained from killing," Akia admitted, for once not understanding a class lesson, "I will kill if necessary, that is something I came to terms with when I joined the agency. How is a mental breakdown helping me though?"

"Because next time you'll be mentally prepared," he said as he opened the door. Just beyond it was a white room. In that moment, she couldn't help compare it to the white walls of a psych ward. "Now, it's about time we invite the others to play."

Akia sniffed one last time before walking past the bodies towards her teacher, but she stopped before she could cross the threshold. "You told Madame Rouge not to coddle us, but you let me win. Even if temporarily blinded and deaf, based on your quirk description, you should have been able to feel the bolas coming towards you. It was almost too easy to take you down after that. Why?"

He blinked at her assessment and shrugged tiredly. "None of you would be able to kill me. Not at your level anyway and definitely not in physical combat. You probably wouldn't be able to kill me even after you graduate from the program. I told you I wouldn't make it easy for you, but I wasn't going to make it impossible."

"I think," she started hesitantly, "you wanted to put me out of my misery. I don't think many people see it, but you reveal a lot about your emotions without really noticing."

He frowned at that and ushered her forward. "You sound just like that damn brat."

"What-"

He shut the door in her face and the sound of the grandfather clock echoed around her, reverberating deafeningly in her ears. Akia screwed her eyes shut and tried to shield her ears against the intrusion, but just as soon as it started, it stopped. She found herself in the street again, dressed in a blue uniform. Her classmates were around her now, all of them with the same grimace on their face and dressed in the unfamiliar blue uniform as well.

"God, that took forever," Suzuno grumbled moodily as he picked at the uniform, "that's two hours I'll never get back."

"That sounds like something a murderer would say," Hiroyuki sing-songed, curiously scanning over the twelve dead bodies in front of them.

The blonde boy bristled at the jested accusation. "I wouldn't have taken nearly as long if I had been chosen!"

The tiger-dog boy merely hummed unconvinced, thoroughly enjoying how it set Suzuno off further.

"First lesson," Aura barked, startling the six students as he tossed a box of medical-grade gloves to Suzuno before he could angrily retort, "never desecrate a crime scene with your fingerprints unless you want to incriminate yourself. In this case, one of you is the murderer so you definitely wouldn't want to do that.

"Today we won't be using any equipment. Before we can advance to professional level tools and devices, or otherwise handicaps, you will have to hone your mind as a base. For this class period, we will be focusing solely on deduction skills. You all have brains and your five senses to guide you so we will be making use of them today."

The six of them approached the bodies at Aura's cue. Quickly shifting to game mode, everyone split up to methodically analyze the new data before them. Aria immediately flocked to Aura's corpse while Naoya and Suzuno opted for the crushed man and Jai stood back so her eyes could analyze all the bodies at once. Akia watched as Hiroyuki stopped short upon glancing at the other bodies riddled with bullet holes. Something briefly flickered across his face - fear? Horror? - before he promptly squashed it down with a painted on smile and turned to Aura's corpse. His back was decidedly to the other bodies.

 _Strange_

Akia had already seen enough of the bodies firsthand, but reluctantly joined Hiroyuki and Aria to blend in. She could only hope her poker face didn't slip. Hiroyuki began unzipping Aura's bag further when Aria let off a loud squeak and desperately grabbed his hand before he could zip past the naked corpse's waist.

"What?" Hiroyuki asked with genuine confusion.

"Can we… not?" Aria stuttered, her face burning all the while.

"Why? Got something on this corpse to hide?" he joked.

"No! I just don't feel… comfortable seeing my teacher's body in that way."

"It's just corpse," Jai deadpanned from her spot while multitasking, "we'll be seeing lots of them at crime scenes."

"It's different when the owner of said corpse is standing ten feet away from us!"

"You okay? You look a little pale," Hiroyuki commented lightly to Akia who had been silent all the while. He didn't need to outright suggest she was the murderer. The undercurrent of humor was enough to imply.

"I-I don't really care for corpses… germy," she managed to reply before forcefully redirecting her attention to Aura's purple face.

"Perhaps this is the wrong profession for you then," Suzuno snarked from across the line up.

Naoya sauntered over to join them, though he more or less ignored them. His face was open and curious, but his eyes seemed to burn into Aura's corpse as he raked over his pale figure.

"Interesting," he murmured to himself before pulling the zipper further down, causing Aria to quickly scramble away with a shriek. He silently prodded the purple and red bruises on Aura's calves left from the bolas and hummed thoughtfully before zipping the bag back up.

"What are your thoughts then?" Aura asked once the group seemed to be satisfied with their findings.

"One victim killed due to blunt head trauma to the medial parietal. Wood chips, gunpowder, and drywall found on the body. Ten victims killed due to blood loss or trauma related to bullet wounds. One victim killed by oxygen deprivation related to strangulation," Jai listed off dutifully.

Naoya was quick to step up to the plate then, almost gladly so. "Just by cause of death, I can infer that Agent Aura was the prime target while the others were just caught in the crossfire. Choking is rather purposeful, while the others sport sloppy bullet holes. It's also worth noting that Aura has bilateral bruising to the shoulders and to the ankles. He was more than likely bound before he was killed and the shoulder bruising could have been done by the unknown subject's feet digging into the victim for leverage. The strangulation marks cut into the skin in an upward angle to further support this theory."

"Whoever did this was sloppy," Suzuno added contemptuously, "if they were going after Aura alone, they killed eleven others unnecessarily. It's painfully obvious they struggled to get the job done too. Choking isn't a quick, clean, or efficient kill. A bullet would be though. They obviously had bullets at their disposal but couldn't land a single shot on him, which led them to have to cut off his air flow as a last resort. The killer is a novice. They underestimated their target and they're also sloppy in hand to hand combat. It's also worth noting that none of the bodies have a trace of a quirk-caused injury or death. The killer avoided quirk use to prevent identification."

Aria looked to Akia and Hiroyuki questioningly before starting her assessment. "I think the others had very good points that covered most of the case. Suzuno is right. The killer is a novice. The killer came in with multiple gadgets. Guns, explosives, and some kind of wire or cord used to catch the victim's feet and strangle them by. However, they didn't seem competent with their use, not if everyone but the target was killed or injured by those weapons. The cord was more than likely a last ditch effort after they expended their bullets and explosives."

"They also lack upper body strength," Hiroyuki commented lightly, "they needed the foot holds to choke Aura by. I doubt they could have without it. They didn't know what to aim for either. The cord marks are on the Adam's apple and upper throat area. If they really knew what to aim for, the best place to stop airflow is under the Adam's apple."

Akia almost paled with how accurately her classmates saw through her murderous actions, dissecting and bearing everything she tried to hide without hardly even trying. Her protective wallpaper was no more. Now she felt as plain and bare as the maddening white walls of this twisted dream world. They all looked expectantly at her now, some no doubt thinking she was the murderer with how out of character she's been acting and how she well she fits the profile so far. She wasn't sure if she would be able to turn this situation around and pin it on somebody else, but she had to at least try to throw them off her scent.

Akia swallowed nervously, trying to regain her quickly crumbling confidence. "T-this was a crime of passion. Aura's death was excessive. The killer didn't just kill him, they maimed him. They choked him with not only enough force to kill, but enough force to cut through flesh. After eleven other deaths, it must have frustrated the killer that they couldn't end their target. They took that frustration and desperation out on the victim. Whoever they are, they are emotional and quick to lose composure. I think the murderer is hot headed and quick to rile, someone who isn't used to losing."

Her other teammates contemplated her words thoughtfully. She could practically see the gears in their heads turning as they glanced at one another appraisingly. Akia herself felt like each pair of eyes that flickered her way burned into her skin and she had that sudden urge to dig her nails into her flesh again.

 _Unclean. I'm unclean…_

At Aura's signal, they entered the building once more. With the removal of the veil of night, the destruction she had left behind could be likened to those murderous tales only seen in the books she's read. Blood was splattered across ceilings, walls, and carpet alike, the foul stench permeating through the halls.

Suzuno wrinkled his nose in disgust at the smell, taking care to step around the bloodstain in the ratty green carpet as they made their way in. "This is utterly repulsive."

"It's our way of life, so start getting used to it," Aura retorted smartly, brushing past them as they climbed up the stairs to his apartment. Despite his keen nose, the smell blood didn't seem to repulse him. Akia could only assume he's been conditioned to the smell over the years.

A turn of a knob and they were in his apartment once more, or rather, what was left of it. They couldn't even step into the apartment due to the gaping hole and unstable boarding that led to the apartment below.

"Aura wasn't killed here since there were eleven other victims before him as identified by the various states of blood coagulation. Victim number one lived a floor below before being crushed to death after some sort of explosion detonated in Aura's apartment," Jai analyzed flatly.

"I imagine the blast destroyed most of the evidence in the apartment too," Akia said quietly, trying to make a point to seem more engaged.

"Not necessarily," Suzuno tutted tersely before gesturing to the windows, "only one of the windows is broken while the other is cracked. The cracked window was more than likely due to the aftershocks of the explosion as the shattering pattern indicates that it was damaged from inside of the room. However, the other window was damaged from the outside. It's a two layered window and the outside pane is more damaged as it took the brunt of the impact. My theory is that the murderer broke in through the window and apparently not so subtly either."

Naoya hummed in agreement, a thoughtful smile on his face. "They knew they wouldn't have the element of surprise so they came in full force."

"Not much luck that gave them," the pretty blonde boy snorted inelegantly, "let's move to the next scene, shall we? We can skip the room below since they didn't stay there for long."

"How do you know?" Aria asked curiously as they made their way to the staircase once more.

Suzuno gave her a pointed, condescending look at that. "What was Aura's tidbit about using your senses, or in this case, your eyes? It's right in front of you, it should be obvious. The rubble is disturbed but not to the extent of a full out brawl."

They found themselves in the hallway just the floor below and Akia's previous flight from Aura was evident as the blood of the victims painted the hallway red and white chalk outlined where fallen bodies had once been. Suzuno and Naoya seemed to be leading the pack as they breezed through the hall, Suzuno with a narrowed and focused stare and Naoya with a curious yet hungry gleam in his eyes. Jai was right behind them, scanning every inch of the hall as her computerized mind processed it all. Akia, Aria, Hiroyuki, and Aura mostly hung back and stayed out of their way as they followed the path of destruction.

"The murderer was fairly thorough for the most part. They at least made the effort to avoid using their quirk and leaving behind hair or fingerprints," Jai commented as they entered the main hall again. It wouldn't be long before they reached the boiler room now.

"So our murderer is smart or at least cautious, but they're not trained in hand to hand combat," Aria quickly concluded.

"N-not necessarily," Akia mumbled quietly, hyper aware of the curious eyes on her now, "if any of us were the murderer in this situation, it would've been our first kill... ever. Perhaps they are trained, but under the stress of the mission, their training and composure fell apart. It seems like Aura put up a bit of a fight as well. It obviously wasn't easy for them to take him down. Maybe they just got sloppy in their panic."

The rest of her team seemed to consider her words as Suzuno opened the door to the boiler room. The white outline of Aura's body was etched not far from the doorway and Akia involuntarily shivered at the memory.

"Just as I thought," Suzuno muttered as he stared at the floor, "the murderer wasn't chasing Aura, Aura was chasing the murderer."

"Why do you think that?" Hiroyuki asked curiously.

"All brawn and no brain then. It's a wonder how you scraped your way in," Suzuno retorted sourly, still a bit sore from his earlier loss at the tiger-dog boy's hands both literally and figuratively, "the corpse showed that he was attacked from the front, not from behind, based on the pattern of bruising and lacerations. Since his body is placed the way it is, Aura more than likely chased the murderer into this room before he was killed."

"So this is where our chase ends then," Aria said as they turned away from the scene.

Having seen the evidence, Aura led them back to the street and gathered them together once more. While Suzuno, Naoya, and Jai seemed satisfied, Aria looked like she had more questions than answers and Hiroyuki didn't seem to be interested in finding answers in general.

"In order to keep your answers from being swayed by others, I will be giving each of you a board," Aura stated just as six white boards with markers clattered at their feet, "based on your observations and deductions, you will write down who you believe the murderer is out of the six of you. You will be expected to explain your answer to your classmates before taking a final vote as a team."

Akia swallowed nervously as she shakily took the board offered to her. Who could she possibly frame as the murderer? Someone hotheaded, someone smart yet quick to lose composure, someone without combat training. With that thought in mind, she wrote down Suzuno's name on her board. Looking up, she saw that Suzuno, Naoya, Jai, and Hiroyuki had already made their decisions while Aria seemed to be struggling more with her selection. Finally, after Suzuno's impatient tapping, she hastily penned a name down. Akia doubted she was sure on her decision though.

"Alright, reveal your answers then."

Wordlessly, they each turned their board over and Akia felt her heart drop and her breath seize in her throat. Her name in five different scrawls stared back at her, each like an accusatory finger piercing through her soul. She felt herself shake then, her hands trembling as she held her own board with Suzuno's name across it. She wanted to cry. The base impulse made her feel even more like a child being scolded.

Aura gave an appraising hum at the answers. "I hardly doubt a vote is in order then, however, I do want to know the logic behind your conclusions. Suzuno, you may go first as you were the first to write down your answer."

"It was obvious to me from the beginning. Akia fits the profile of the murderer. The murderer was someone smart enough to plan, but inexperienced enough to execute the plan sloppily. As such, the murderer had to rely on spur of the moment improvising once things started to go downhill. The only one of us known for pulling this off is Akia, who also coincidentally is both clever and lacks experience and training," Suzuno listed, though it looked almost painful for him to admit that he thought her clever, "Hiroyuki is neither smart nor inexperienced which exempts him as a suspect, Aria has prior combat training, and Jai lives her combat training vicariously through others. Naoya was also a possible contender, but he wouldn't have went with a physical approach, he would have used his quirk instead as it manifests more mentally than physically. The murderer also went through great pains to avoid using their quirk, however, everybody here can control their quirk without worrying about leaving too much evidence behind. The quirk that would have been both messy and easily spotted is Akia's. Because of this she had to rely solely on combat despite her weakness in that field instead of using a mix of both her quirk and combat like the others would have. I could go on, but I'd rather cut this lesson short. We've already been in this hellish illusion long enough."

Naoya nodded at Suzuno's logic. "Interesting analysis," he conceded pleasantly, "instead of creating a profile, I used process of elimination to come to my conclusion. Hiroyuki was also first off my list because of the destruction levels. As a trained combatant and having a mutation-based quirk, Hiroyuki, like the murderer, would have also taken a physical, head-on approach. However, after seeing his strength and fighting style during our spars today, I concluded he couldn't have been the murderer. As a fighter, Hiroyuki is too precise, too efficient and clean to have caused a mess this uncontrolled. I've also noticed ever since this morning that Hiroyuki leaves claw marks everywhere he goes," the albino boy stated, briefly glancing at the claws that had already ripped through the other boy's shoes, "had he been the culprit, he would have left scratches in the woodwork had he not prepared accordingly. That leaves four other suspects. Out of the rest of us, Aria has the next best combat skills, but she would have relied on her quirk as a murder weapon. The marks on Aura's throat were too big to be a strand of hair and Jai even mentioned the murderer didn't leave behind any hair or fingerprints. The murderer had to have covered their head then, meaning that if Aria was the killer, she wouldn't have been able to use her quirk which doesn't make sense. Her quirk makes the perfect murder weapon - subtle and not easily identified or traced. There wouldn't be a good enough reason for her not to use her quirk. As Akia stated earlier, this was a murder of passion, so Jai was also scratched off the list. I suspect that when put in the same situation, Jai wouldn't have lost control of her emotions, not with that cybernetic brain of hers. As seen in Suzuno's spar earlier today, he too can lose control of a situation and lash out." Suzuno glared at him at that, but Naoya either didn't notice or didn't care. "However, while the murderer initially attacked first, they quickly went on the defense and fled. When Suzuno loses his composure, he lashes out, becoming even more aggressive. As seen in his previous interactions, he wouldn't have ran away from the fight because he has too much pride to do so. Someone I can imagine taking a defensive stance though is Akia," he concluded, pinning her with his red gaze and his faint smile that did nothing to reassure her, "she fits where everyone else does not - lack of combat background, avoidance of a quirk, a defensive fighting style born from a sense of inferiority, emotional response. To me, Akia is the only logical suspect out of the six of us."

Akia could feel everyone's eyes boring into her and she felt as if she were drowning in a storm, a storm she couldn't get out of. Relentlessly, Hiroyuki picked up where the other two boys left off. "I would have blindly guessed had the situation been different, but I have a pretty strong nose," the tiger-dog boy said, playfully tapping his nose, "I knew it was Akia the second we stepped into the complex. The entirely building smelled more like her than any of the rest of us."

"It was her reactions that sold me," Aria admitted, briefly glancing her way, "Akia has proven up to this point to be an intelligent individual, however, I found it strange that she was oddly quiet throughout the exercise. Investigation should have been an area that she excelled in. It requires thinking and brain work and that is something she's proven herself to be strong in. To me, her silence and her reactions and facial expressions were just as good as a confession."

Akia felt like her heart was stuck in her throat. She couldn't breathe, she couldn't open her mouth to say anything, to refute anything, but what could she possibly say? They were all right about her after all.

Jai gave her a flat look, her eyebrow quirked expectantly. "Not going to go? Okay, then I will. My conclusion came from the analysis of the environment. At some point, the murderer had cut their left palm. It bled through the gloves they wore and left a partial hand print on every surface they touched. While there aren't any prints to go with it, the size of the hand was too small to be any of the males with us or mine and it was too wide to be Aria's. The hand size, however, fit perfectly with Akia. I'm sure if we were all to take off our gloves, Akia would have a cut on her left hand to prove this theory."

The others removed the rubber gloves they were given, baring their palms as evidence of their innocence, all but Akia who couldn't even stop her hands from shaking.

"Well?" Suzuno snapped, causing her to flinch in response. He rolled his eyes impatiently and boldly ripped her gloves off her himself. She didn't have time to react and by the time she pulled away, everyone had already seen it - a red gash on her left palm. Akia couldn't help but feel small and humiliated as her eyes welled up in pathetic tears. She feared to blink, feared to cry like a vulnerable child in front of her classmates with their penetrating stares. The blonde boy paid her turmoil no mind as he scoffed. "So, shall you explain why you accused me then and wanted to paint me as the murderer? What pitiful, stuttering excuse did you think up? You apparently didn't think at all if your disastrous execution of this game is anything to go by. Come on, I want to hear it. I'm sure we all deserve a good laugh."

"Suzuno…" Aria tried to appease, but the damage was already done.

Akia couldn't stop the hiccup from escaping her mouth and she burned with mortification as fat tears rolled down her face. Her classmates' reactions made the situation worse. Naoya and Hiroyuki with their curious smiles, Jai and Suzuno with their cold indifference, and Aria with her stifling pity. It was all too much.

"Are you seriously crying because you got caught?" Suzuno asked incredulously, crossing his arms. "I stand by my earlier assertion. Perhaps this _is_ the wrong profession for you."

Akia wanted to scream. She wanted to shove him and shout at him and _prove_ that she belonged here just as much as he did, but nothing came out. She did what she always did. She firmly shut her mouth and buried her words in the back of her throat. She wasn't sure which was worse, regressing to a child's tantrum to match her pathetic tears or allowing herself be walked over like she always had her entire life. She hated her options either way.

And without a warning, she jolted upright, gasping for air. She frantically looked about her in an almost crazed manner as she tried to regain her bearings. She was in the classroom again, no longer trapped in that maddenning twilight world. The spring sunlight casted a soft yellow glow across the room and the faint smell of cherry blossoms carried over through the open window. Aura and Delphi remained in place at the front of the room, Delphi with her eyes still trained on the others who were still caught in her trance and Aura with his eyes pinning her down in her desk. It wasn't until she felt a drop on her hand that she realized she was still crying. Stubbornly, she wiped at her watering eyes but couldn't repress the hiccup-induced sniffles that naturally accompanied them. She expected Aura to have that severe, disapproving scowl, to berate her weakness for crying, but he didn't. Rather, he looked tired, like a man who was sick of fighting had given up. He tore his gaze from her then and waved his hand flippantly.

"Go get cleaned up as I close up this lesson. Black Echo will be here shortly for his Interrogation course." Akia didn't need to be told twice. She practically ran from the room as if running for her life.

She locked herself in the nearest bathroom, shed her jacket, and pressed herself into the farthest corner. She could hardly stop as she began to hysterically scratch at her skin, digging painful red lines into her flesh as she tried to make herself feel clean again. Despite her new uniform and the red tie that now felt too constricting around her neck, Akia felt naked and exposed as if all of her vulnerabilities were on display for all to see. She hated it and it only made her nails dig that much deeper.

 _Stripped of her wallpaper indeed_ _._

* * *

Aura watched as the blue and pink haired girl bolted from the room and simply shook his head. As much as he loathed to agree with the arrogant blonde child, he had a point. If Akia couldn't handle the gore and the emotional strain the agency required of her, she wouldn't last in the program. At her reaction, he contemplated expelling her on the spot. It wasn't uncommon for any of his colleagues to deem a student unfit for the field and turn them away early before they invested themselves too much. However, he hesitated to do so when her previous words echoed back to him.

" _It was never about me or any kind of personal suffering. This is about the people I swore to protect."_

She said those words with more conviction than anything else during her shoddy acting, and perhaps that is why he ultimately chose not to expel her. He could only hope she would be able to keep the people she swore to protect safe… unlike himself. Call it idealistic, call it pity, he didn't give a damn at this point. He was beginning to feel a migraine coming on behind his eyelids and wanted nothing more than to sleep away the memories.

Right on cue, the classroom door slid open, revealing Black Echo. The younger man's brow furrowed briefly before smoothing out in understanding. "Ah… it seems I dropped by too early."

Aura let out a humorless snort. "No, I'm done. The brats are all yours." He brushed by the blind man on his way out the door, the following gasps signaled Delphi breaking her hold on the remaining students.

He weaved his way through the quiet halls in a numb haze, his mind far away replaying memories he would much rather forget. His senses for once felt dull and heavy under the weight of the melancholic cloud he couldn't seem to escape, and yet, he felt a familiar rage and frustration churning in his gut.

" _Is the price we pay truly worth the so called peace we were promised?"_

 _"This is about the people I swore to protect."_

 _"You could never understand what they've taken from me."_

"Damn it," he cursed under his breath as he slid the door to the breakroom open.

At the main table, Ace and that _wretched child_ were laughing over a cup of coffee. Venus's laughter quickly died on his lips though and those _vile_ dark blue eyes - eyes Aura wanted to gouge out himself - shifted nervously to him as the boy sensed the danger brewing underneath.

 _Anger, bitterness, betrayal, despair, mourning, regret, hopelessness, frustration, hate..._

" _I don't think many people see it, but you reveal a lot about your emotions without really noticing."_

"You fucking _parasite_ ," Aura practically hissed as his face contorted in fury. Ace abruptly stood up, placing himself between him and the boy protectively, effectively blocking Venus from sight.

"I think you need to go cool off somewhere else, Aura," Ace stated lowly, all of his usual humor gone.

"Look at you, so chummy with that leech and so willing to become his human meat shield," he sneered cruelly, "how do you know he's not manipulating you? That he's not manipulating all of us?"

"That is something Madame R will worry about, not you."

"We should have ended him all those years ago like we were _supposed_ to."

Ace smiled then - a cold, sharp thing. "Get out."

He wasn't scared at the agency's proclaimed best combatant, but he knew he was letting his emotions get the better of him and that _brat_ knew it as well. In a way, the agency's star child would win if he acted on his emotions now. He took a deep breath through his nose and turned on his heel before he could make any more bad decisions.

Aura slammed the door behind him and stalked out of the building. He couldn't stand being there, couldn't stand being next to those two _monsters_. It was as if Chariot was spitting in his face when he assigned him to their care. He found himself at the back entrance of the school then fumbling his back pocket for a familiar cardboard box. He retrieved one white stick and lit it, inhaling long and deep and savoring the burning in his lungs that seemed to overshadow everything else and release the tension in his shoulders. He could practically feel every lung cell flare up and scream for air with each noxious drag with his heightened senses.

He closed his eyes, tasting the nicotine and smoke on his tongue as he exhaled. Without much thought or reason, he pressed the butt of his cigarette into the back of his hand. He didn't cry out or flinch, just simply relished the sensation that slowly brought him back to reality. The past was the past. He knew he couldn't change it so what good does brooding over it do? And yet, perhaps the memories were a good reminder. They reminded him why he was here, what was important, why he should feel angry over the injustices of the world. Tossing his cigarette away, he slid down the brick wall and buried his face in his hands. Gone was the anger and the rage. All that was left in its smoldering embers was tiredness and defeat.

"Yuki… I'm so sorry."

* * *

 **A/N: Hi so I'm not dead just a bad person. Thanks for being so patient with me! I passed my boards thank god and I just started my new job so that kind of explains why I've been taking so long to churn this chapter out. Plus, I intended this to be a shorter chapter about half this size and I got this instead aha.**

 **I always thoroughly enjoy writing Akia. She is just so unassuming yet so clever and quick to think of something at the last second. I think I'm a way, she's a bit of an underdog. Like she states in her monologue, other brighter and louder characters tend to catch other's attention more and I think as a character, this only perpetuates her naturally shy and introverted tendencies. As Naoya mentions, it's perhaps due to an inferiority complex despite all her cleverness and schemes. Overall, I think she is a very complex character and I can only hope I can do her character justice through this journey.**

 **Next chapter is one I'm looking forward to personally. It'll be Hiroyuki's perspective for Black Echo's Interrogation class.**

 **I'm kind of out of question ideas so here's just the one.**

 **1\. Any theories on characters and plot so far?**


	7. For Your Sake I Have Braved the Glen

**A/N: Trigger warnings - Graphic depictions of torture and violence, mentions of past non-con, and past child abuse/exploitation**

* * *

 _One may lead a horse to water,_

 _Twenty cannot make him drink._

 _Though the goblins cuff'd and caught her,_

 _Coax'd and fought her,_

 _Bullied and besought her,_

 _Scratch'd her, pinch'd her black as ink,_

 _Kick'd and knock'd her,_

 _Maul'd and mock'd her,_

 _Lizzie utter'd not a word;_

 _Would not open lip from lip_

 _Lest they should cram a mouthful in_

 _\- Goblin Market by Christina Rosetti_

* * *

 **For Your Sake I Have Braved the Glen and had to do With Goblin Merchant Men**

He found that no amount of description or detail from Chariot could mentally prepare him for how jarringly vivid Delphi's quirk was. When Hiroyuki finally came to, he was greeted by the peaceful spring glow of the classroom, a sharp contrast from the grisly dreamworld that had been bathed in blood. At the recollection of the harsh smell of gunpowder and the sight of bullet-filled bodies, an involuntary shiver wracked down his spine. Somewhere from a distant memory, a series of gunshots echoed off the walls of his mind followed by a child's scream.

 _Stop. Don't think about it._

He opened his eyes then, blinking himself back to awareness. The rest of his classmates were gasping for breath as if they had been submerged under water the entire time, but he forced himself to take a long, steady breath before exhaling cooly. Hiroyuki just managed to catch a glimpse of Aura stalking out the door as his mind cleared. A confused Black Echo took his place at the front of the room, left to deal with the wound-up students, or at least what remained of them. Akia's seat was noticeably empty.

It didn't take long for his classmates to act up again. The loudmouth blonde on the opposite end of the line up always had to have the first word after all. At least he made things entertaining here since he was so easy to rile up like an angered kitten. He remembered briefly penning through his file when looking over the potential recruits. It was no surprise Suzuno made it in with high scores. He was practically a genius with a photographic memory and a strong quirk to top it off. It's too bad he was more or less a sheltered, spoiled child so used to being catered to and getting his way. Hiroyuki was sure the agents would beat the self-entitlement out of him though. The agency had a knack for breaking spirits.

Suzuno huffed, stubbornly blowing a stray curl out of his face. "Well it seems that Akia tucked tail and fled."

"You weren't really making it easy for her to stay," Aria murmured beside him, rubbing her eyes tiredly.

"Well she has to toughen up," the blonde snipped back, "would you rather we baby her?"

"Suzuno does have a point even if his delivery is less than tactful," Naoya agreed, earning a glare from the boy, "she's too soft at heart and I doubt our enemies will excuse us if we can't stomach the gore. We have to harden our hearts if we want to survive."

"It doesn't make it right."

"It doesn't have to be. It's just the way it is."

Black Echo cleared his throat, abruptly halting the class discussion. "Ah… It's about time we began class. I think one of your classmates is missing though."

Right on cue, Akia slid the classroom door open. The bubblegum-haired girl looked a little worse for wear as if she had been physically in Delphi's dreamworld. Her eyes and nose were red and puffy from crying and her uniform wrinkled and disheveled. He could even smell a hint of blood on her person, but he couldn't determine where. He didn't mention it as she took her seat once more. It wasn't any of his business anyway. He was sure she could feel the heavy stares of the others on her person as she seemed to cave into herself to make her appear smaller. Hiroyuki didn't really remember much about Akia's profile. It was one of the more unremarkable ones that he didn't particularly care to memorize let alone properly look at. She probably had a normal upbringing and a normal family and lived a normal life prior to coming to UA. It was so incredibly mundane and predictable in comparison to the agents he knew, but he supposed it was because of that normalcy that the training was so much of a shock to her. It didn't surprise him that she already broke on the first day.

Hiroyuki's attention was drawn back to Black Echo, the most unassuming yet the most dangerous member on the staff. He remembered the first time he met the enigmatic man. They had both been a lot younger then, Hiroyuki just a child and Black Echo barely even an adult who was fresh out of training. How could he forget him? He was different from the other underlings and sycophants who threw themselves so readily at Chariot's feet to lick his boots if it meant getting ahead in the agency. Black Echo was so wholy different from what Hiroyuki expected of him. He was gentle, humble, and compassionate, yet he knew how to command a room. It wasn't what you would expect from a seasoned S Class agent, but he supposed Black Echo's reputation preceeded him then. Everyone in the agency knew of the assassin directly serving under Chariot.

"Before we start this lesson, I want to go over how each of you completed the second portion of the entrance exam," Black Echo started, folding his hands in front of him, "the second exam dealt primarily in interrogation, which is the sole purpose of the class I am about to teach. The objective was to extract information from your subject's own lips. You were also given an arsenal of tools at your disposal." His head turned to the blonde at the end of the row from him. "Suzuno, you were able to get an answer out of your teammate by shooting glass shards into their nail beds - a common torture tactic due to the high amount of nerves concentrated in that area. Naoya, one of your teammates forfeited the exam leaving you to conduct the interrogation yourself. By using your quirk, you were able to extract the codeword from your teammate by mentally torturing them. Definitely one of the most brutal methods I've seen from an entrance examinee." The rest of the class gave the albino boy guarded looks as a sense of understanding fell upon them. Apparently everyone was slowly starting to realize Naoya wasn't as nice as he seemed. "Jai elected for the hammer and managed to break three fingers before extracting her code word, Akia didn't partake, Aria chose to threaten bodily harm with an awl but ran out of time, and Hiroyuki also did not partake."

Of course he didn't partake. Why put in the extra effort? He would have still gotten in even if he didn't show up to the exam at all. At least Chariot seemed satisfied that he put in just enough effort to get in fairly. Mission accomplished as far as he cared.

"My point being, everyone who attempted the exam chose torture to extract their information. My first lesson for you today is that torture is useless in interrogation." Everyone seemed to sit straighter at this. Even battered up Akia seemed to perk up. He, of course, knew the purpose of this class, having been close to Chariot and Black Echo for so long. It was simply common knowledge in the agency at this point.

"What do you mean?" Suzuno demanded with a petulant pout, "we retrieved the information, didn't we? How were our methods not effective?"

Black Echo took the boy's irritation in stride. "As agents, you won't be interrogating children like you did in the entrance exam. You will be trying to extract information from hardened criminals and individuals with just as much or even more training than yourselves. You won't be able to bully your way past them by force."

"Pain will always make people talk."

"It can make people talk," he conceded thoughtfully, crossing his arms, "but you'll find that individuals under torture will say anything to make you stop, even if it's a lie." That shut Suzuno up pretty fast. The boy at least looked contrite, but he had a sort of burning fire in his eyes that could only mean he was greedily absorbing the information in curious fascination. The whole room seemed to be fixed on the man in the front of the room now. For as long as he knew him, he had always had that sort of understated charisma that caught everybody off guard. Black Echo shifted then, shrugging off his black coat with a practiced grace. "I'm sure Madame Rouge has already discussed where each of the staff members sit on the agency's ranking system. The only S Class agents here are Madame Rouge and myself. Madame Rouge specializes in Stealth and Espionage. Most would think then that my specialty area is the class that I teach… However, my specialty area wasn't Torture and Interrogation. It was assassinations." Hiroyuki watched as his classmates' expressions ranged from shock to peaked interest at the new information. Again, Black Echo who often played mediator and was soft-spoken hardly seemed like the type to murder people in cold blood. Perhaps that is why he was considered a legend in his field. No one ever suspected him.

"Being an S Class assassin meant that I was privy to very sensitive information and I was constantly placed in danger. It meant that I always had to be placing my loyalty to the agency first before my own wellbeing or anyone else's. I had to prepare for the worst, and eventually, the worst did come." Their sensei took that moment to delicately slip off his black gloves. His left hand was entirely maimed, three fingers, a thumb, and a good part of his palm were missing and now replaced by a robotic prosthetic. The right hand had been completely severed at the wrist and a similar prosthetic was used to substitute his missing limb. That wasn't the full extent though. He continued to roll up his pants and unlace his boots, the bionic joints in his hands glinting under the fluorescent lights. The rest of his classmates watched in both horror and fascination as he revealed a single prosthetic foot and matching scars that ran from his knees to his ankles.

Everyone in the agency knew of the assassin directly serving under Chariot… and everyone in the agency knew what happened to him.

"After an assignment gone wrong, I was captured and tortured for information for two weeks. My captors first tried threatening me, then they tried waterboarding, sleep deprivation, and starvation," Black Echo listed in that calm and steady voice of his, a voice that severely contrasted the gruesome ordeal he went through, "when that didn't work, they cut off my right pointer finger so I couldn't shoot anymore. Then they cut off my middle fingers so I couldn't curse my enemies. It was only when I had one finger left that they realized that method wasn't going to work for them either. On the fourth day when I tried to escape, they broke my kneecaps and both my fibulas so I couldn't run away again, then they cut off my right foot as further incentive. Every day and every night for two weeks, they would take turns assaulting me… physically… mentally… sexually."

Hiroyuki saw Suzuno's face twist in disgust, Akia turn green, and Aria involuntarily shiver. Hiroyuki sat unphased all the while. Perhaps he himself had become too desensitized over the years, too use to violence and torture. Too use to the touches from long ago memories. Sometimes, when he closed his eyes at night, he could still feel Yoshirou's fingers dance across his skin in an ardent manner… and he would still find himself leaning into that phantom touch.

 _It was too dark, too dusty and cold. The ropes around his wrists rubbed his skin raw, making him whimper with every startle and jostle of the other children who shared his cage._

 _Groggily, he heard a cold voice flitter by, a voice different from those of his kidnappers. "I'm sorely disappointed with the quality of the merchandise. For your sake, I hope that you find something actually worth my while or I'll make sure you regret ever wasting my time…" the man suddenly stopped short and the echoing of footsteps became louder and louder. "Oh? And what's this?"_

" _J-just a runt, Yoshirou. We didn't think you'd like something as small and frail as him..."_

" _Let me be the judge of that."_

 _Hiroyuki let out a startled yell then as he was grabbed and unceremoniously thrown to the floor. He screamed and thrashed, trying to get away, but strong hands forcefully kept him in place. His blindfold was ripped off then and the world was drenched in light and the first thing he saw was a face - Yoshirou's face. The man with the cold voice smiled nicely then, gently taking his face in one of his hands and turning his head every which way as he got a better look. He lashed out then, biting the man's hand._

" _Y-Yoshirou-san!" his captor's shouted in paling dismay, but the man merely held his hand up to silence them._

 _With that hand he reached out, slowly this time as if to keep from startling him, and scratched right behind his canine ear just where he liked it. After so long of being on the streets and being tossed about and hurt, Hiroyuki found himself melting into the touch with a whimper._

" _That's better," he crooned, "aren't you a beauty? I'll be taking him off your hands. How much?"_

"They took pleasure in hurting me, in humiliating me," Black Echo continued, "they took apart my body piece by piece and had me watch as they fed the parts to their dogs. They had me tied up in a cold damp room, vulnerable, naked, bent over degradingly, and covered in a layer of both mine and others' filth. Since they couldn't get their information, they settled for my screams and they never relented until my voice or my body gave out. Sometimes, they would even go past that point out of a sick kind of fascination. On the thirteenth night, they took the last thing that made me useful. They took the thing that millions of people around the world hold dear to them." With his prosthetic hand, he reached up and gently tugged at his blindfold. The black cloth fell away, revealing a jagged scar across his face, intersecting milky white eyes. "They took my quirk."

' _He lied,'_ Hiroyuki thought to himself as his classmates reacted, ' _his quirk isn't gone. It's damaged, forever replaying those torturous weeks in an infinite loop before his sightless eyes.'_

The other five were tense in their seats. Akia fidgeted in her desk, wringing the edge of her skirt nervously. Aria had grown several shades paler with every new detail revealed. Jai was as stoic as ever but the unnatural rigidity in her posture was telling that she wasn't completely robotic. The usual pleasant smile of Naoya's face had been completely wiped off now as he quietly drank in every word and Suzuno was clenching his fists so hard that his knuckles had turned white. It made everyone uncomfortable and on edge. Hiroyuki all the while listened quietly. It wasn't his first time hearing this story. Not from Black Echo and not from others who whispered about the infamous incident behind Black Echo's back.

Rather, Hiroyuki vividly recalled the commotion and chaos when Black Echo finally returned to the agency after his capture. Hiroyuki had been eleven when Ace barged into headquarters with Black Echo in his arms, wrapped only in a coat, as the older blonde screamed orders and demands to both subordinates and superiors alike in a desperate pitch Hiroyuki had never seen him reduced to. In that moment he saw raw vulnerability in Black Echo. Gone was the strong living legend. In his place was a frail wisp of a man. He had been almost unrecognizable then, his skin covered in blood, bruises, and other fluids that made his keen nose wrinkle and his face was entirely painted red as his eyes cried tears of blood. He had always seen Black Echo as a quiet knight by Chariot's side, a steadfast shadow, an untouchable force. In that moment though, Black Echo looked so fragile as if he might break at any moment and Hiroyuki couldn't repress the smile that stretched across his face - the infamous smile that caught Ace's eye and made his hated for him burn all the more.

Hiroyuki had always seen Black Echo as some kind of unstoppable, unreachable figure, but he had laughed then, seeing the man sullied and broken. When Black Echo heard his laugh, he didn't regard him like he used to - not with that suffocating sense of pity. Any lesser agent would have screamed profanities and cursed his name in return. It wouldn't be the first time either, but not Black Echo. No, Black Echo finally _understood_ him now, more than anybody ever had. Hiroyuki laughed because someone truly _saw_ him for the first time. He laughed in joy, in sorrow, in overwhelming, tear-jerking _relief_ as Ace shoved his way past. In that brief moment, a sense of camaraderie between him and Black Echo was formed. They were one in the same now. They were both broken and bloodied pawns, tossed away by their owners yet always crawling back like the loyal dogs they were.

"My quirk allowed me the ability to record everything I ever saw and replay it for future use. After I refused to comply after ten days of torture, my captors figured I was useless to them… Suzuno." The blonde boy was so engrossed that he nearly jumped at the sound of his name. "From my understanding, your quirk is manifested in your hands. How useful do you think you would be as an agent if you had both of your hands severed at the wrist?" For once, Suzuno didn't have a response readied. "For many of us, bodily harm could mean the end of our quirks. For Suzuno it would be his hands. For Naoya and Jai, severe brain damage would have to be dealt. For Aria a scalping and severing of her hands would do the trick. As Akia's quirk in manifested in her forearms, her arms would have to be removed at the elbow. Hiroyuki, your quirk is a mutation quirk which makes it a little trickier, but blowing out your eardrums or cutting off your tail could deal some serious damage to your ability to use your quirk. It's easy for an enemy to make you quirkless if they have the conviction to do so.

"I was there for two weeks before I was rescued. Do you know how much information I gave to my captors during those two weeks of torture?" He gave a small, indulgent smile as he leaned forward. "None. There is a chance that in the future, you may find yourself in a similar situation, perhaps one that is less gruesome, perhaps one that is even more so. My job is to prepare you for the worst case scenario so these situations don't break you. In this class, I will be teaching you how to withstand torture and how to conduct successful interrogation sessions. Welcome, Class 1-L, to Torture and Interrogation."

Black Echo motioned for Delphi, who had faded into the background forgotten, to step forward. The rest of his classmates stiffened at the implication. "Delphi's quirk is very useful for training and simulations as it keeps your physical bodies from being harmed during these lessons. It's a small blessing as it wasn't always this way. Today, we will going over human anatomy." The classroom rippled, no doubt indicating they were now in Delphi's dream world again. "All of your classes will overlap with each other. This human anatomy lesson could easily be applied to Combat, Investigation, or Strategy. We'll start with Suzuno's method."

Hiroyuki graciously swallowed back a gasp as glass shards shot underneath his nails. The same couldn't be said about his classmates. A collection of grunts and cries filled the room and Suzuno in particular let out a string of colorful profanities. For Hiroyuki, it was second nature to endure silently. As easy as breathing.

" _Not a sound Byakko, just as we practiced," Yoshirou said levelly as he guided his hand to the flat planes of the metal table. He didn't waver, didn't make a sound, didn't even flinch as a hammer came down on his right hand, effectively breaking the bones beneath it. He trusted Yoshirou. He just wanted to make him stronger. "That's it. That's my good boy."_

"The nail bed has many nerves that make it a popular area for torture. Many interrogators who rely on torture often focus on the hands," Black Echo said, seemingly unaware of the students squirming in pain before him. "As humans, we rely on the use of our hands for everyday tasks so targeting or threatening the function of them is a common tactic. They are the most flexible when it comes to torture as they can be mutilated and even cut off without risking imminent death. It is less vital then, say, organs."

Hiroyuki breathed deep and arched his back as a sharp pain shot through his flank. A sob bubbled out of Aria's mouth and he heard Naoya's dry heave from down the line. "The kidneys are vital organs that are also closely linked to blood pressure and bladder function. They are very sensitive but they can also only take so much trauma before they eventually fail and kill the host." The pain immediately drew back, allowing them to breathe easy for only a moment before a new sharp pain literally stole the air from their lungs. "There's a chance you may be shot at. If you're ever shot in the lung, you risk the chance of having a collapsed lung as the internal pressure matches atmospheric pressure. The best way to prevent this is to cover the entrance wound and seek medical attention immediately. If you or your teammates are ever injured, airway, breathing, and circulation are your priorities. You will always die first from oxygen deprivation than bleeding out. If any of your teammates has a critical injury such as an open-skull fracture or multiple organ damage, you will follow the triage protocol and leave them behind."

"H-how could we… leave a teammate behind?" Aria rasped, her sharpened nails desperately clawing into the desk for some kind of anchor.

"You can't save anyone if you're dead," Black Echo explained as they were given another reprieve from the pain, "if a teammate ever gets to that level of injury, they will die within the next hour or so. Expending time and energy on a dying comrade could jeopardize your limited resources, your mission, your other teammates, and yourself. I'm not saying it's an easy decision. It's a action that may plague you with 'what ifs' and haunts even the strongest of agents, but as agents you will have too much to risk, too much at stake to do any different. You can't think like a hero. Playing the hero in our line of work has gotten good men and women unnecessarily killed or worse. As both your teacher and your senior I'm telling you now, please, never risk your life for one that is already doomed."

Black Echo would know this most of all. It was only because of Ace that Black Echo was even with them now. Ace who failed the UA exam at fourteen, Ace who constantly grouched about heroes and their bleeding hearts, Ace who defied a superior's orders and saved Black Echo by himself when no one else would. Stupidly _heroic_ Ace.

Unrestrained screams filled the air then as all the bones in his hands bent in unnatural angles. Hiroyuki simply stared on as Black Echo continued with the anatomy lesson.

 _Byakko held the glinting knife in his non-dominant hand and another he had in his mouth clasped tight between his teeth. His broken right hand hung bandaged and useless at his side, but it didn't deter him from his target. The older boy before him was whole and unhindered, clasping a knife in both hands. He was one of Yoshirou's other pets, though he hardly saw the others at all. The boy's eyes narrowed as he stared him down in a sense of self-righteous anger. With how close Yoshirou kept him, always at his side, the others had turned their jealous ire to him. It didn't matter to him though. Not when Yoshirou loved him most._

 _The man in question watched from the sidelines with a curious yet neutral expression. On his mark, the training began. In that moment, Byakko was no longer Yoshirou's pet. He was Yoshirou's soldier. He would fight for him. He would die for him. Anything... for him._

 _Yellow tiger eyes dilated as they locked onto the older boy in front of him. Yoshirou was watching and he would make sure to make him proud. With that thought in mind, Byakko moved with the intent to kill._

 _And kill he did._

He was brought back to the present as his right hand laid bloody and severed on his desk, his stump resting beside it. The all too familiar smell of blood reached his nose and he could practically taste the iron on his tongue. His arm twitched in pain, but he hadn't made a sound even as the room fell into chaos around him. Jai was the one cursing now. Akia was hyperventilating in what he assumed was a panic attack and Aria was sobbing, clutching her bleeding wrist to her chest. Naoya had his back arched as he futilely bit back a scream and Suzuno was just the opposite, doubled over on himself and biting into his jacket sleeve as he cried out. He allowed himself to close his eyes, drowning out the sound around him with more memories of another time. A time he wasn't supposed to ache for this much.

 _He liked the dark. It was comforting like a shadowy blanket enveloping his being. In the dark, he could greedily drink in the lines in Yoshirou's face, the crinkle in the corner of his eyes, and the little details in his crooked smile that was reserved just for him - only for him._

 _He wanted to reach out then, to touch him, to trace the markings in his face, but he bit back the urge. Yoshirou never liked him to beg or initiate after all, and if that made him happy, then Byakko would give up that small impulse._

 _He felt the gentleness of Yoshirou's reverent touch and his warm breath on his neck as he sat obediently still in the dark of the bedroom._

" _So beautiful. Always so good for me, Byakko."_

Hiroyuki found himself taking in another deep, controlled breath of sakura blossom-perfumed air as he was brought back to reality. He blinked and shook his head as he regained his bearings and his classmates gracelessly gasped for breath once more. He must have lost himself in his thoughts again. Chariot always said that was a bad habit of his.

"And that concludes our lesson for today. It's important as agents to have a grasp on basic human anatomy. By being able to experience what it feels like to be on the receiving end, you can both learn how to withstand pain and increase your endurance in both torture and combat as well as apply it to your own strategies." Black Echo straightened after shrugging on his coat, his robotic hands still on display. Reaching into the desk drawer, he retrieved a stack of papers which he gave a still trembling Suzuno to pass around. "Your homework for tomorrow is to fill out this anatomy diagram that includes all two hundred and six bones as well as organs and then indicate which area is the weakest for you based on today's lesson. You-"

The door slid open, effectively cutting off Black Echo, to reveal their TA's Venus and Bloodhound. The two had been laughing together about something as they lingered at the door expectantly. They hardly looked guilty about interrupting, probably because they had an idea how trying this particular class was.

Bloodhound offered an innocent smile, one the blind teacher couldn't see anyway. "Black Echo, you were just finishing up, yeah? We were hoping to steal the kiddos for a group lunch. Team bonding and all that."

"Yes I was just about to dismiss class. They're free to go, you too Delphi."

They didn't need to be told twice. Hiroyuki's other classmates stood from their seats, all eager for a change of scenery and to nurse their phantom pains. Being at the far end of the room, he lagged behind everyone else, which allowed Black Echo enough time to stop him before he could join the others.

"Ah, Hiroyuki, can I talk to you for a minute?"

Wordlessly, he closed the classroom door, leaving the two of them alone. His pleasant smile faltered as he leaned against Suzuno's desk expectantly. He already had an idea what his elder was going to say.

"You disappeared for a moment there."

"I'm well aware."

The dark-haired man sighed tiredly, running his metal hand through his hair. "You did so this morning too… in your fight with Suzuno. I know it's a habit for you, that it makes you feel safe, but you can't keep doing this. You can't keep depending on others to give you orders on how to live your life nor can you continue to cling to memories as a way to cope. You're starting to regress and it's only the first day! You know it's not healthy to fall back on your old ways."

"I can handle it. I've survived this long haven't I?"

"By dwelling in the past and reverting back to your old behaviors? If you continue on this path, I'm afraid that one day you'll crash and burn. You are Hiroyuki Yukimura. Not Byakko, not Yoshirou's pet, and certainly not Chariot's dog."

Hiroyuki couldn't help but flinch at that but his neutral expression didn't change. "Isn't that hypocritical? Then shouldn't you be Kaede Hatsuma?" he asked point blank, "you and I both know you can never go back to being Black Echo. Why continue to play agent when you have no use to the agency anymore?"

His words didn't have the desired effect. They never seemed to on Black Echo no matter how sharp he made the barb. Instead of looking wounded or taken aback, he looked disappointed in him. Back Echo hung his head solemnly, letting the deafening silence fill the room until Hiroyuki couldn't stand it anymore.

"'We do not deal with moral means, we deal with moral ends,'" the man in front of him quoted quietly. It was a saying Hiroyuki knew all too well. The words were emblazoned in gold across the Special Activities Division's atrium. The words new agents swore their lives on and the words they whispered on their dying breaths. "I was simply a means to an end then and I continue to be now. It doesn't have to be the same way for you. I chose this path, but you can still turn away. You can choose if this is what you want or not. You know Chariot would never hold it against you."

"Then why send me here?" Hiroyuki found himself asking levelly, still somewhat hurt over the whole situation and he knew Black Echo was simply the messenger he was shooting at, "why send me away when all I wanted was to be by his side?"

"You know why," the older man replied patiently, "You're clinging onto Chariot the same way you were clinging onto Yoshirou, the way you _still_ cling onto the memory of Yoshirou. It's precisely the reason why Chariot sent you here, not to become an agent, but to give you the space you need to become your own person." Black Echo stared at him with those glassy, sightless eyes and shook his head beseechingly. "You and I both know you can never be Hiroyuki Yukimura at Chariot's side, not the way you are now. Even now without him as an anchor, you're reverting back to your old ways. All the work he has done with you, all the progress you've made, are you just going to let it be in vain?"

Hiroyuki closed his eyes and _breathed_. "No, no of course not. Even if I wanted to, things can never go back to the way they once were."

"No, they can't," Black Echo mused quietly to himself, perhaps relating to his words all too well. They truly were one in the same. He turned his head towards him once more. "So who are you then? Who will you be?"

He swallowed thickly, "I am Hiroyuki Yukimura," he recited hesitantly. It was still a phrase that seemed foreign on his tongue. There had been a time when he had forgotten that name entirely. "I… I like to cook."

"And…?" Black Echo encouraged.

"I like music?"

"What kind of music?"

"Anything," he answered reflexively, "I like animals, especially dogs, and I like sports and swimming and…"

He found himself faltering for a lack of interests but Black Echo merely offered him a smile. "One step at a time."

"I'll try to be better," Hiroyuki said, his gazed pointedly at the ground, "I'll try harder and make Chariot proud."

"You know you could never disappoint him. Just be better for yourself," Black Echo said, "now, from my understanding, Bloodhound wanted to round the six of you up for a private lunch in the dormitories. You better catch up to them."

He nodded and made his way out. He paused briefly when he saw Ace leaning against the wall. Cold green eyes pinned him to the spot before the older man brushed by him into the classroom. After all these years, Ace still held a grudge against him. His connections to Chariot seemed to only top all that off.

Hiroyuki silently watched as the blonde man stood in front of Black Echo and tenderly wrapped his arms around him. Black Echo in turn clung to Ace as if his life depended on it, as if letting go meant the unraveling of his very being. It was always this way whenever Black Echo spoke of that time, as if his damaged quirk that continued playing back those traumatizing memories wasn't enough against his tortured psyche. Ace all the while was left with the broken pieces that Chariot left behind and he could only do so much to hold his lover together now.

He could see why Ace hated him so.

After all, everyone in the agency knew of the assassin directly serving under Chariot, and everyone knew that Chariot sent the assassin on a suicide mission he was never meant to return from.

Immoral means to moral ends indeed.

* * *

Bloodhound briefly glanced up from her workspace in the dormitory's kitchenette. After what they knew would be a grueling morning for their newest recruits, she and Venus saw it fit to rescue them for lunch. They hoped to make it a tradition to spend breakfast together with them at the mess hall so they could at least somewhat mingle with other kids their age and then take their lunches and dinners in their private dormitory in peace. They were only kids after all - kids transitioning into the harsh world of agents. They deserved a reprieve every once in a while. She knew how hard it was and why the other agents had to be so harsh with them, but she also knew it had to be a balancing act. Physically and emotionally demanding training was critical to their success, yet they wouldn't get anywhere if they didn't take care of themselves.

Venus was happily chatting up the five students as he set the common room table, stubbornly telling Aria to stay in her seat rather than help and playfully teasing the easily riled up Suzuno as if their several spats that morning never happened. The two of them decided to divide and conquer for today. Venus would manage the kids while she would meal prep. He had an easy charisma about him and she found herself somewhat jealous of the way he could easily charm his way into people's defences. He simply talked of everything and nothing to fill in the empty spaces, yet it didn't seem too forced. He managed to lighten the atmosphere enough where Aria and Suzuno were actively exchanging quips and banter. He even went out of his way to include shy little Akia, encouraging and prompting her enough for her to put in her two cents every now and then. Though Naoya was a little more wary at first, he too began to contribute to the conversation. Bloodhound knew better though. She could smell their emotions with her keen nose after all.

Venus was using his quirk to make them all feel safe.

It also didn't slip her notice that Hiroyuki was absent. She didn't think any of them were unaware of this, but everyone chose not to comment on it. It was already starting to become evident that Hiroyuki wasn't quite like the rest of them.

Speak of the devil and he shall appear. Hiroyuki entered the commons, seemingly lost in his own pensive thoughts - an expression she had yet to see on the usually smiling boy. He looked up then, as if suddenly aware of his surroundings and glancing between his classmates and her, he chose to walk into the kitchenette. She could smell the noticeable difference in him already. Before she would sniff out almost nothing but mild amusement, apathy, and boredom on the boy - emotions that highly contrasted his ever-present grin and lighthearted attitude. Now, he seemed to be stewing on something. She sniffed out traces of regret, hints of bitter weariness, some confusion, but also a sense of acceptance. There was another constant emotion she couldn't quite place, one that was shrouded in uncertainty, and it was heavier now than ever. Bloodhound wasn't quite sure what exactly Black Echo had said to him, but she knew something in the boy had shifted during that time. She wished she could say she knew more about his case, but with Venus and the other agents going out of their way to hide it from her, she couldn't help but feel like the odd one out. She knew she wasn't being fair and Hiroyuki's case wasn't anywhere related to why she came to Japan in the first place, but she couldn't help feeling hurt and slighted. They didn't trust her with the information and she felt like they were treating her like a child or even like one of the new recruits, yet in a way, she really was nothing more than an outsider who didn't belong here. Venus's knowing look from across the room didn't help her case either. She couldn't even stew in her own petulance without someone knowing something she didn't.

"What are you making?" Hiroyuki asked genuinely curious, peering over her shoulder in an almost childlike manner. She almost laughed at his antics. It was another new side of him she found herself not minding at all. It was much better than the stone-cold soldier persona with the mismatched mask at least.

"Just some pasta," she replied in kind, "I'm still learning how to cook Japanese dishes, but I thought I could offer you guys something from my home country. I mean, it's technically Italian, but it's a family recipe."

He looked up at her then with his big feline eyes. "Do you mind if I help?"

She found herself brightening and offering him a toothy smile. "Sure, of course! Do you think you can dice the tomatoes for me?"

They two of them worked side by side. While the others talked and teased, Bloodhound and Hiroyuki didn't need words. Rather, they found themselves in a comfortable silence, lulled by the buzz of conversation and Hiroyuki's faint humming. Yes, she wanted nothing more than to sate her curiosity, ask him invasive questions, and uncover the mystery behind him, but she also found herself respecting his boundaries and privacy. Reflecting back on it, she felt a bit guilty for feeling entitled to his past. Everyone seemed to know Hiroyuki didn't belong. Many of the staff members didn't want him there and Venus and his classmates were rightfully wary of him.

At this realization, Bloodhound finally could place what the headier, heavier scent was behind all his emotions - the scent that was always present even with his apathy, curiosity, or pensiveness.

Hiroyuki was lonely.

With someone as out of touch with his emotions as Hiroyuki, she was sure he wasn't even aware of this, or at least he didn't know what to call the strange emotion that seemed to constantly plague him.

"Hey," she found herself saying before she could stop herself. The younger boy looked up from his work. His work on the tomatoes and herbs were very clean and precise and it obviously wasn't his first time doing so. "Do you cook often? You seem to know what you're doing."

He smiled crookedly, hesitantly. It was one of the few genuine smiles she had seen him offer. Bloodhound could smell his struggle to open up, his reluctance and the hint of anxiety. He wasn't used to this, she realized, being himself. He simply didn't know how and the uncertainty and vulnerability behind it all unsettled him.

"It's something I picked up a few years ago. My caretaker of sorts said I needed to get a hobby. We had a kitchen that was always stocked but never used so I figured I would at least put it to good use."

She hummed. "My mother taught me," she replied, growing fond with nostalgia, "she was a housewife and cooking was such a huge staple on her side of the family that she made sure both my brother and I could pass on the family legacy."

"Do you ever… miss them?"

"Of course I do. Every day, but I know that I'm needed here. I can't go back until I finished what I came here to do."

"And how do you know this is what you're meant to do?" he asked earnestly, "why not be a housewife like your mother and live a normal life and find someone to settle down with and start a family? It's much more safer and secure than being an agent, especially in an unfamiliar country where some might see you as a foreign outsider? How do you…" he struggled to express his thoughts into words, "how do you make it when there's so much against you?"

She saw right through him and his questions. Perhaps he himself wasn't quite sure about his place here either. "Look," she said, wiping her wet palms on her apron and briefly glancing at the distracted students before pinning him with a meaningful stare, "don't worry about them and what they think. You're here for you, not them. It doesn't matter what they think, just focus on telling yourself, and I mean like telling yourself every moment, all the time, that 'I'm a hero, I can do this, it'll be alright!' and y'know, the more you play the part the more it becomes real. The more you convince yourself, the more you believe it, and then you'll be okay. Just focus on being the person you want to be."

"So that's what happened to you, right?" he asked quietly as he worked, "you did that and now you're better?"

She looked towards the others who laughed and shouted in the other room as the moments wore on, her eyes became hardened. "Yeah," she sighed, but it was tired and quiet and forced. "Yeah, I'm alright."

* * *

 **A/N: So ya, this came out faster than my previous chapters (like a week or so versus the month or more I usually take). I have a basic plot in mind and set scenes I want to emphasize for character and plot development, but most of the time I just kinda freeball it. This chapter, however, I had a lot of scenes already planned in advance from Black Echo's backstory reveal, Hiroyuki's flashbacks, and their little heart to heart afterwards. It's also like, half the length of the previous chapters and I had three days off to just write. Everything else about it was kind of spontaneous and left up to creative license, but this chapter probably had the most structure thus far because it had to hit so many character points. The next chapter I have absolutely nothing planned besides a general idea for what I want to do for the Strategy class, so it'll take me a minute to it crank out ahaha… sorry in advance.**

 **So you know what I found that's an absolute GODSEND for my writing? MyNoise. It's a website that just has white noise tracks you can play in the background, and for someone who struggles to write in absolute silence or with music playing, this is the equivalent to the holy grail. I personally just listen to "Cafe Restaurant" for hours as I write.**

 **Okay so character spotlight moment. I think Hiroyuki is one of the most interesting characters to work with. He has such an interesting and complex backstory that is so deeply rooted into his personality and mannerisms. There's just so much I can explore with him and I'm very excited to play around with his character. It's also kind of funny how well his background works with Venus's, which is why I entangled the two's history. Ugh, everything just worked out so well and I couldn't have done this without all of these amazing characters!**

 **So I threw in another Bloodhound POV because we don't get to see enough of her and I also just adore her perspective on things. Suzuno will get his perspective in the next chapter and Venus will soon get a chapter to himself as we get further into the main plot. I have no idea whose perspective to do for Personal Psychology yet but more on that later.**

 **Next chapter will be Suzuno's point of view for Akira's Strategy class as well as a short snippet that'll look into the deeper plot of this story. I'm sure you can probably guess what the subject matter of Strategy will be based on the opening teaser:**

* * *

" _ **Spying is a like a game of chess: Sometimes you have to withdraw, sometimes you have to sacrifice one of your pieces to win - preferably a knight rather than a king or queen." - John Rhys-Davies**_

 **Chapter 7: Kings or Pawns, Emperors or Fools**

* * *

 **So question time!**

 **1\. Who's perspective do you guys want for Personal Psychology since we'll have done everybody's perspective at least once by the time that chapter comes around? (Naoya, Aria, Jai, Akia, Hiroyuki, Suzuno, maybe even Delphi herself?) Lemme tell ya, some major tea is about to be spilt.**

 **2\. Who's your favorite Boku No Hero character? Mine's All Might!**

 **Don't forget to check out the forum for this story under MHA: Black Ops! The link is also in my bio. There's a character thread in case you guys need to freshen up on appearances and quirks of the characters as well as a Q &A thread open to anybody! There's even some cool fan art to check out!**


	8. Kings or Pawns, Emperors or Fools

" _Spying is like a game of chess: Sometimes you have to withdraw, sometimes you have to sacrifice one of your pieces to win - preferably a knight rather than a king or queen." - John Rhys-Davies_

* * *

 **Chapter 7: Kings or Pawns, Emperors or Fools**

* * *

 _A young Suzuno reached across the table to move his pawn, his tiny body straining as he did so. Once satisfied with his move, he sat back down in the rich mahogany chair that seemed to dwarf his frame as he waited impatiently for his father to play his turn._

 _His father simply tilted his head as he studied the board in thought. "Why did you make that move?" he asked curiously as he easily collected the pawn Suzuno put in his path._

 _The child gave a petulant huff, crossing his arms stubbornly. "Does it matter? It's just a pawn."_

" _Ah, but it's not_ 'just a pawn,' _Suzuno. Even pawns have their special worth, their special roles no matter how small."_

" _Who cares?" the cherubic blonde child pouted, "as long as I win it shouldn't matter how many pawns I lose."_

" _You have one thing right," his father conceded indulgently, "you're playing as if you are the king piece. In a way, we are kings waging war against one another, but as a king, you tell your knights who to fight, you tell your foot soldier pawns to press forward and they will even in the face of capture. You are the ultimate decision maker in this game of war, the leader all your pieces look up to for guidance. However, as a king, it is your job to know and take care of your own. For instance…" His father reached across the board to move his piece, taking one of his rooks in the process, "without your pawn to defend, you lost a valuable piece. Leaving a piece out unguarded like that - that move is called a hanging."_

 _Suzuno frowned, looking pointedly at the black and white board. "As long as I have the king piece, what does it matter how many pieces I hang?"_

" _You can't always just think of the king," the older man said humorously as he ruffled Suzuno's unruly blonde curls, "I'm sure one day you'll understand."_

" _Those in power will always make pawns their fodder as long as they can get what they want…"_

That's just how things are.

 _Without further ado, the child reached once more to move the black bishop beside the white king piece. "Checkmate, Papa."_

 _The older man sputtered, studying the board in disbelief before leaning back to let out a bellowing laugh that bounced off the walls of the spacious library. He stood and gathered the blonde child in his arms before spinning him around, Suzuno squealing with laughter as his father tickled him relentlessly._

" _Oh my beamish boy, you will do great things with that mind of yours I just know it!"_

 _Their combined laughter echoed through the halls of the vast estate. While the library was full of laughter and light, the rest of the estate was as cold and empty as a tomb._

* * *

The six of them walked back to class from their lunch break, though their two TA's were notably absent. They had just been wrapping up when Madame Rouge had stepped in to call Venus and Bloodhound aside - something about needing to study their own materials as well, whatever that meant - which also meant that the six of them spent the next half hour cleaning up. Suzuno hadn't ever done dishes in his life. Why would he ever need to? Kitchen work was for commoners and the help. He couldn't fathom how Hiroyuki and Bloodhound did it for _fun._ Aria was pretty insistent that they all pitch in to help though, but after breaking a plate - that he fixed with his quirk mind you - he was put to drying duty. It still disgusted him though and he wanted to scrub his hands raw afterwards.

Suzuno stretched his aching shoulders as they walked, rolling them back and hearing a satisfying pop. He was still rather sore from the phantom pains of Black Echo's lesson and from that morning's ballet lesson and spar. It was definitely more physical activity than he was used to, but it was easier than he anticipated to adjust. He couldn't say the same for the others. While Aria and Hiroyuki looked well enough, Jai moved too stiffly as her muscles were pulled taut from overexertion, Naoya seemed to almost grimace with every step as he walked with a noticeable limp, and Akia looked like she got hit by a train - probably still physically and metaphorically sore from her huge flop in Investigation. Can't say that he blamed her. Her crying fit was downright humiliating.

Crying didn't change anything. It won't erase her mistakes or give her victory. If she couldn't even understand that, then perhaps this was the wrong profession for her. The others may have thought his words too harsh during Investigation, but it was the truth. So what if the class was tough for her? He's had a tough day too, first being kicked around by Venus, then becoming that mutt's punching bag, and lastly being sent through the wringer during Black Echo's torture session. It was new, degrading, and humiliating, but that's just how things are, so the least he could do is learn from it. Akia, however, still seemed to be in denial of this reality. If she was reduced to tears during a nonconsequential class session, she wouldn't survive the harsh world of agents. This wasn't an opinion. It was a fact.

 _And that's just how things are._

Aria let out a long drawn sigh as she reached up to stretch her arms as well. "I hope Strategy isn't nearly as physically taxing as our previous classes were."

"I think I'd rather die if they somehow incorporate conditioning into it," Jai grumbled beside him before tossing her head back carelessly. "Fuuuuuck. This is only day one too."

Hiroyuki shrugged nonchalantly, seemingly unaffected by the onslaught of physical training they just did as he led the way. "You never know with strategists. I've heard Akira is pretty unpredictable."

"And how do _you_ know that?" Suzuno found himself asking. Ever since Madame Rouge's class, he had been wary of the boy who always seemed to have a smile on his face. His spar with him and Black Echo pulling him aside only furthered his suspicions. Hiroyuki was more capable and knew more about the Agency than he was letting on. The question now was how he was involved. He doubted the boy would willing fork over the information unless it was ripped out of him though. The more he learned about him, the more questions Suzuno had.

The others looked to the tiger-dog boy as well but Hiroyuki was either oblivious or didn't pay any mind to the weight of their stares. "Oh… here and there through the grapevine." He turned to shoot Suzuno a cheeky grin over his shoulder. "Not everybody can have as good of ears as mine." His dog ears twitched in emphasis.

Suzuno's eye twitched in annoyance and he was about to retort but the words died as Hiroyuki drew back the door. Akira was already there, pleasantly penning through a file. The desks were rearranged so that two were directly facing each other, a chessboard shared between them.

"Ah, you've arrived!" Akira greeted with a curling smile and snapped the folder shut, "you can leave your bags in the front as you won't need them today. As you've probably deduced, we will be playing chess for Strategy. Consider it a warm up for what's to come. I've already selected your starting partners for today. Aria will be with Hiroyuki, Akia will be with Jai, and Naoya will be with Suzuno. Please, take your seats once you're ready."

Suzuno frowned as the six of them placed their bags in the front. Akira was ever the efficient one it seemed, leaving no room for idle small talk. He slipped into his seat across from Naoya and quietly sized the albino boy up. Akira didn't randomly assign them, he could tell right off the bat. It was the same as the spars during Combat. They were matched based on skill level. Suzuno already knew he had one of the best strategies used during the first exam, which meant that Akira thought Naoya would be able to contend that. Unfortunately, there wasn't a whole lot he knew about the boy across from him. He didn't run into him during the exams nor did he get to see his spar during Combat after the mutt had knocked him out. He hadn't even had the chance to see the boy's quirk either. As of right now, Naoya Saito was a complete stranger to him. Feeling his stare, Naoya slowly dragged his red eyes from the front of the room to him. Despite the small affable smile on his lips, his eyes never wavered as he amusedly held Suzuno's stare. Suzuno could play this game all day, but Akira chose that moment to address them.

Clearing his throat, the head of their department straightened. "Is there anyone unfamiliar with the rules?" Tentatively, Aria raised her hand, the sole individual out of their class. The telltale blush indicated that she was embarrassed by this fact. Still, the older man smiled graciously. "We will briefly go over the basic rules then.

"This," he started, picking up the tallest wooden figure from Aria and Hiroyuki's chess set, "is your king piece. Your motive in this game is to protect your king while trying to capture the opposing king using your other chess pieces. If your king is checkmated, meaning that you are unable to move the piece away from potential capture, then you lose the game. As such, your king is a very important piece, however, it has very limited mobility compared to the other pieces as it can only move one space in any direction.

"Next is your queen. Your queen piece is arguably the most powerful piece on the board so use her wisely. She has the most free reign, being able to move any number of spaces in any direction as long as nothing is obstructing her path. She cannot move past your own pieces, but if your opponent's piece is in her way, you may capture it.

"Every player has two bishops. While the queen may move in any direction of her choosing, the bishop can only move along the diagonals. Like the bishops, there are two knights per player. These pieces move in an 'L' shape, that being two spaces in one direction and then one space over. Unlike the previous pieces, the knight is able to bypass other pieces including your own, though to capture another piece, the knight has to land on the same tile the opposing piece is occupying.

"You get two rooks as well. While the bishop can only move diagonally, rooks can only move up, down, or to the side. They can move any number of spaces as long as your own pieces are not obstructing its path. You may capture your opponent's pieces if they cross paths though. Lastly, you have your pawns. You get eight of these pieces. While often overlooked, the pawns have some unique qualities. While they usually can only move forward one space, on their first move you have the ability to move them forward one or two spaces if you so choose. Be careful with how you move them though as your pawns can only move forward, making it difficult to avoid potential capture. In order to capture a piece using a pawn, the pawn must land on the same tile one space diagonally rather than forward. Once a pawn has reached the other side of the board, you can promote them to another piece such as a queen, bishop, knight, or a rook. Those are the basic rules for chess, though I won't get into the little nuances. I figured I'd give you all a break from the physical activity with a little brain teaser. The rules for chess seem easy enough, but I'm sure you'll all realize that chess can become quite tricky with the right opponent."

Aria chose that moment to raise her hand. "Sensei, I personally don't see how learning how to play chess will help us. Shouldn't we be learning combat strategy or battle analytics? Something more… substantial?"

"All in good time, Kazuharu," Akira replied goodnaturedly, "you forget that this is simply day one of your training. As far as I'm concerned, you're all inexperienced novices sorely unprepared for the real world, so relish in these moments you get to sit around and play chess during my class. I know older trainees who would _kill_ to have a day off like this. As for the relevancy of this lesson, everything is governed by rules; physics, social interactions, chess, and in our profession, life. Like chess pieces, we all have our unique roles in life. Villains break the rules that keep the natural order of society. A hero's role is to uphold these rules and boost public morale. Our role as agents is to understand the board we play on so that we can outmaneuver and capture our opponents by any means necessary."

"But there's some of us who already know how to play," Aria objected still, "there's an obvious difference in skill level that doesn't equate to our actual tactical skills on the field."

Akira gave a sharp, insidious smile and his yellow serpentine eyes flashed. In that instant, Suzuno couldn't move. He couldn't blink, he couldn't breathe, he couldn't speak. None of them could as Akira literally pinned them down with his stare. It seemed his graciousness had a limit.

 **-/-**

 **Name: Akira Arata**

 **Age: 52**

 **Position: Strategic specialist and department head for the Special Activities Department at UA**

 **Quirk: Serpentine**

 **This quirk allows him to freeze his adversaries with a single stare, produce venoms and paralytic substances that are delivered through a fanged bite, and shed his skin to retain a youthful appearance**

 **-/-**

"I suppose you think it's not fair then?" Akira asked lightly with a slight tilt of his head, apathetic to their silent struggle against his quirk, "well then, I suppose you are right. There will always be others smarter than you, more experienced than you that will know how to play the game better than you. They won't care whether you're fourteen, fresh out of training, or a seasoned agent. They will end you all the same. What can you do about it?" he asked, idly reaching for the black king piece between a quickly blueing Aria and Hiroyuki, "Learn the rules. Watch the experts. Play the game. You'll quickly find that in our line of work, there's no room for mistakes. I'm sure you all understand how much you can stand to lose... after learning what happened to Black Echo." He put the piece back down with finality. Like a switch, Akira's countenance brightened and Suzuno was finally able to gasp for air to quench his burning lungs. The others were just as much of a wreck as he was as they nearly doubled over in their desks - all of them save for Hiroyuki who stayed perfectly still and neutral as the blue slowly ebbed from his face with each steady breath. Damn that mutt.

It took a minute for the rest of them to regain their composure. Akira all the while smiled at them innocently as if he wasn't the direct cause of their suffering. "Any more questions for me?" Aria didn't dare say another word and Suzuno would have glazed her mouth shut even if she tried. "No? Well then, without further ado, let's get started shall we?"

Turning away from Akira, Suzuno looked once more to his partner. Naoya had composed himself once more and methodically went about straightening his white pieces. He opened his mouth to speak but was surprised when Naoya beat him to it.

"If I'm to be honest, it's been a while since I've played chess," the albino boy said conversationally, an ever slight smile on his face, "I've always preferred shogi myself."

Suzuno watched as Naoya finished straightening his pawns. "I won't give you a handicap even if you haven't played in a while."

"Oh I wouldn't want you to either."

Suzuno silently studied him, the boy once more meeting his stare evenly. Naoya carried himself with a sort of grace - not the kind of trained grace Madame Rouge or Venus had, but he had a sort of calculated way with his movements. He came off fairly normal, _charming_ even with his pleasant smiles and gracious demeanor, but he was incredibly aloof and if Investigation proved anything, he was also intelligent. No, Suzuno wouldn't be making the same mistake of underestimating him like he did Venus and Hiroyuki. As if reading his conclusion on his face, Naoya gave him a satisfied grin.

Suzuno frowned at this but gestured all the same. "Since you are playing white, it's your move first."

With one last glance, Naoya dropped his eyes to the board, pausing only briefly before moving one pawn forward. They continued back and forth, each move closer to revealing the grander picture like puzzle pieces slowly fitting into place. The first to capture a piece was Naoya, a black pawn now tucked away to the side. However after losing two pawns, it didn't take long for Suzuno to capture a rook in return. If Naoya was surprised by the sacrifice he didn't show it, just continued to play with that subdued smile of his that was starting to grate on Suzuno's nerves.

' _Akira, Naoya, and Hiroyuki. For guys who smile all the time, they're a rather shady bunch,'_ Suzuno couldn't help but grumpily think to himself as Naoya stole another pawn.

Never one to beat around the bush, Suzuno figured he'd at least try to get something out of his new enigmatic classmate. If they were going to be stuck together for the next few years, he'd at least appreciate knowing what he was up against. "So why are you really here?"

The white haired boy didn't even waver at the question. "You didn't find my answer during Madame Rouge's introduction sufficient?"

"I don't buy that 'greater good' excuse for one second. Everyone has their motives for being here."

"Hmm," Naoya hummed, seemingly more amused than anything, "but I was being genuinely sincere. I do want to make the world and this society a better place."

"But why?" Suzuno petulantly prodded as he moved his knight forward. He hated not knowing the answers and all he had since he stepped foot in UA were questions. "No one does anything for nothing. That's just how things are."

"I suppose you're right in that regard. Humans are selfish in nature," Naoya conceded to his opponent's bitter realistic view, stealing the last of Suzuno's pawns all the while, "An addict uses because their drug of choice induces a pleasurable high, a student studies because they believe good grades will bring them success or honor, a hero sacrifices themselves because they find that saving the lives of others is more favorable than saving their own. I suppose I'm selfish in that same way. You could say that I have my own motives for being here or wanting to better society, but my reasons are my own."

Suzuno furrowed his brow in annoyance, both at his stolen bishop and at Naoya's avoidance of his question. "If I recall, I saw your name on the roster for UA's hero department entrance examinees. You obviously didn't make it in if you're here."

Naoya took a long breath in through his nose as he moved another piece over. "UA's hero entrance exam favors physically destructive quirks. I would imagine someone like you would have passed easily."

"I believe you have me at a disadvantage. You've seen my quirk, but I haven't seen yours. What is it?"

"It's no secret really. You're bound to see it eventually. My quirk is called Mind Eater." Suzuno couldn't help but glance at his opponent at the macabre sounding quirk. "To put it simply, I'm able to see into other people's memories and manipulate them at will."

' _Dangerous. No wonder he was recruited as a potential agent.'_

"Mentally destructive then," Suzuno muttered, "would you-"

Suzuno was interrupted by Naoya's laugh. "So many questions, it almost feels like an interrogation. How about we level the playing field a bit. A little quid pro quo?"

"Whatever," he grumbled curtly, stealing a knight.

Naoya hummed in mild satisfaction. "How did you get to see the entrance exam roster?"

Suzuno was a bit caught off guard by the incredibly forward question, but hardly allowed himself to falter. "My father donates a lot of money to UA and has access to a lot of the inner workings of the school including the hero department examinees. It helps that he has a tendency to leave things on his desk," the blonde boy said with a shrug, "my turn. Would you rather be a hero than an agent then?"

"I don't care either way. What do the means matter as long as I can meet my ends?" his opponent replied with a tilt of his head.

"Of course it matters," Suzuno big out huffily, "they are so inherently _different._ We all just saw what could happen to us if we slip up even once with Black Echo _."_

"Having second thoughts? You said you wanted to prove that you were the best. I'd venture as far as to say that you would've received higher praise and recognition if you had chosen to become a hero instead."

"I have a certain respect for heroes. It's not necessarily something I could ever see myself doing," Suzuno replied, as honest as ever, "that path would have been all too easy. Laughably so. My father has been pushing for me to apply to UA for months and has given me the right upbringing and connections to succeed if I chose to do so. My family has money, influence, and power and that puts us at the top of the food chain. I could've easily been a hero… but why should I do that when I don't want to save people? In fact, I find more often than not that the common folk are beneath me."

The boy across from him could hardly contain an amused snort. "You think highly of yourself then."

"It's true is it not? The commoners are too slow, too dull, too dirty, and so incredibly mundane that I can't find it in myself to care what they do or what happens to them. I'm not here because I want to better society or help people from the bottom of my bleeding heart. I'm here because the agency provides a challenge I've never had to struggle with before - a challenge I never would have faced if I chose to be a hero. What good is being the best if you never had to work for it? You'll find that I can be selfish too, even more so than you."

"Oh I don't know about that," Naoya commented just under his breath as he stole yet another piece. "I think we're simply just selfish in different ways. Those people that you claim are beneath you are still important in the grand scheme of things. It's like Akira-sensei said, every piece on the board has its unique role that shouldn't be overlooked or underestimated, but I suppose this is where our viewpoints differ. You see, it's all a matter of determining a pawn's worth." As if to set the scene, Naoya's smile sharpened just a tad as he collected the black queen, turning the game in his favor. "You were born privileged. You were born with a sharp mind, a good quirk to a family with excessive wealth and plenty of connections. You were practically born with a silver spoon in your mouth and were spoon fed success since childhood, never having to work for anything in your life. As you said, your only struggle is the _lack_ of a struggle with no true challenge. Of course you would think others from lesser backgrounds with fewer opportunities would be below you. It's not like you could ever understand them or see their worth when you've been so incredibly spoiled and sheltered away in an ivory tower all your life." Suzuno glared at Naoya's barbs and even more so as his attempts to stave off the other boy's maneuvers on the board became futile. Naoya all the while was unperturbed as he picked off his higher pieces one by one.

"And I suppose _you_ see worth in peasants?" Suzuno spat, further furrowing his brow at the albino boy.

"Of course. After all, I'm one of those peasants you refer to. Not all of us here were born into the modern equivalent of nobility," Naoya replied nonchalantly, "I come from an average family with an average yearly income and grew up in an average-sized house in an average neighborhood. I used to work part time at a local convenience store bagging groceries in the summer and went to a school with an average academic curriculum surrounded by average students who will go on to live average lives. My life has been incredibly mundane but there's nothing really to complain about. I can't help my situation anymore than you can." He paused thoughtfully as he took a moment to study the board, his face oddly serene despite his harsh truths. "But the agency doesn't work like the rest of society. Your name and wealth mean nothing to both your allies and enemies and daddy's money isn't going to buy you success here.

"You and your ivory tower and your holier than thou attitude could never understand what the 'common folk' think and worry about, and I think that's where your weakness lies. You would sacrifice and burn every one of your pawns to get your way. I find that it's much easier and more beneficial to simply manipulate the pawns at my disposal rather than discard them because I see the worth in their use. You play as if you're the king piece when you should be playing like a chess master. It's because of this," he said as his white bishop slipped past his defenses and he stole his last knight, "you forget that the king piece is just another pawn in the game as well.

As if to add insult to injury, Naoya saved Suzuno's king for last, leisurely picking off what few black pieces remained on the board simply because he could. "You play chess much like you act in the real world. It doesn't inspire others to follow you nor is it lucrative in the long run. If you continue on this path, you will have no other allies left and be even lower than a peasant. You will be put down like a dog," he stated matter of fact as he placed his bishop in front of his lonely king - his only piece left standing on the board in a battlefield of white pieces, "checkmate."

There were a lot of hard truths Suzuno learned throughout life, but he had always faced these truths head on.

He will never know his mother.

The strong will always prey upon the weak.

There is no use crying over anything.

Even after giving his all, even after making it a point to avoid underestimating his opponent, Naoya was still better than him.

 _And that's just how things are…_

...And he would learn from it.

* * *

 _Three hours ago..._

Venus sat across from Ace in the lounge as the two lightheartedly exchanged stories and banter. It felt like forever since the two of them had been able to spend time together since Ace graduated from the Academy. In all honesty, he wasn't sure he would've survived those first few years in the Academy without the older man's help. Ace had been like a protective older brother when he first arrived - something that he sorely needed. At that time he had been young, scared, confused, and completely ostracized by the other agents in training. His name alone painted a target on his back and the reputation he would build up in the years to follow only further made him the subject of his peers' ire. Needless to say he didn't miss the Academy and its cut throat environment, and would be more than happy if he never had to step foot in that institution again. He supposed Ace could relate, being one of the very rare quirkless agents he had also been targeted because quirkless were seen as weak - easy prey in a dog eat dog hierarchy. The two of them proved the others wrong though and perhaps that's where their camaraderie stemmed from.

Venus smiled to himself at that, but that smile quickly died when he remembered he was here on official business. Even after all Ace had done for him, he could only repay him in lies. "Hey Ace, you know I wouldn't ask anything of you if it wasn't completely necessary, right?"

Ace who had just finished laughing at some snarky comment he had made began to sober up. Despite Venus being the empath, Ace had grown highly keen on the teen's moods over the years and he quickly picked up on his unease. "Yeah… but what could you possibly need from me?"

He took a breath. "Later today, Madame Rouge will call me and Bloodhound aside," Venus explained almost robotically, clinically, "we will meet with the rest of the instructors and we will take a vote on whether or not Bloodhound is ready to accompany me on a mission. I know what the others will say. Aura, Akira, and Delphi will think that this will be a good experience for her. Black Echo, Madame Rouge, and I will say that she's not ready. The only one I'm unsure of in this scenario is you… so I need you to vote against her going."

Ace narrowed his eyes suspiciously and leaned forward in his chair. "Why would you vote against her going? You've always encouraged Bloodhound in all her studies. You were even the first to advocate for this mission shadow for her."

Venus bowed his head, his long hair hiding his shame. "I know but not like this. I don't want her to see me this way."

In an instant, Ace's look soured. "What kind of mission does Madame Rouge have you doing? You know you're not allowed to take on anything higher than a B-ranked mission even if you're some so-called prodigy. You're still in training."

Venus gave him a wry smile at that. He hadn't done anything lower than a C-ranked mission in nearly two years. "You and I both know Madame Rouge would never put me in harms way. Just… you just have to _trust_ me on this. It's complicated, but it might jeopardize the mission if Bloodhound is there. I'm not doing anything dangerous, I promise."

 _Lie_

He could tell Ace was neither satisfied nor happy, but the blonde man sighed in defeat, knowing that he wouldn't be privy to the mission as it was under Madame Rouge's jurisdiction. "Fine, it wouldn't hurt if we put it off for a little while longer." His eyes sharpened as he gave Venus a hard look. "But you know I worry about you. I don't know what exactly you're doing that is keeping you from bringing Bloodhound along, but I trust Madame Rouge's judgement on the mission and I trust you."

 _You shouldn't_

Venus smiled gratefully, genuinely relieved. "Thanks Ace."

"Hmm, now you owe me though. What should it be now? Maybe you can treat me out to that new ramen bar down the street?"

Venus laughed openly now, briefly forgetting his previous dilemma. "Always looking for ways to break your diet. You haven't changed at all."

"You know it, kid," Ace beamed with an equally wide grin, "I hope your wallet's prepared!" They both laughed, but Venus's joyful mood turned to ash as he felt a sudden spike in dark emotions.

 _Anger, bitterness, betrayal, despair, mourning, regret, hopelessness, frustration, hatred… a lot of hatred..._

Turning to the source, Venus was met with Aura's burning gray eyes boring into him.

"You fucking parasite," Aura hissed furiously, catching Venus off guard. He knew Aura had never liked him ever since the night they first met, but he wasn't sure what set the older man off this time. He couldn't have possibly overheard them.

Before anything could escalate, Ace stood between them as a barrier. "I think you need to go cool off somewhere else, Aura," Ace stated carefully, though making it perfectly clear through his body language that it wasn't a suggestion.

"Look at you, so chummy with that leech and so willing to become his human meat shield," Aura spat, "how do you know he's not manipulating you? That he's not manipulating all of us?"

Venus couldn't help but flinch at that. Little did he know how true that statement was.

"That is something Madame R will worry about, not you."

"We should have ended him all those years ago like we were supposed to."

Venus stiffened and paled at those words. An eerily familiar scream echoed in his ears as his knuckles turned white with how hard he was gripping his coffee cup.

"Get out."

Venus knew Aura could put up a good fight against the combat expert. The two older men knew it too, and Aura almost looked like he was considering it. Instead he forced himself to grit his teeth and stalk out of the room, slamming the door on the way out. Despite Aura's absence, Ace was still tense as if ready to spring into action at any moment.

He would never outright admit it, but Venus secretly found comfort in the notion that there were a few people in his life who were willing to fight for him. With almost everyone praying for his failure and on trying days like this, he was just so tired of fighting for himself. Aura wasn't the only agent in the Agency that loathed his very presence and he was constantly reminded of this every time he stepped foot into Headquarters or the Academy.

It was this animosity though that constantly reminded Venus why he continued to do what he was doing. Their burning stares, their harsh whispers, their never ending cruelty. It was precisely why he lied to Ace, barred Bloodhound from getting involved, and went behind Madame Rouge's back when she thought he was simply on a harmless B-ranked mission. It would break her heart if she ever found out what exactly he did on those missions. He didn't know if he had it in him to manipulate her emotions if his secret ever got out either, but despite the revulsive feeling of guilt and shame his actions caused him, he was in too deep to turn back now. And just like when he was a traumatized child being led by the hand by Madame Rouge into the barracks of the Academy, he had no choice but to go forward.

* * *

 _One hour ago…_

Venus and Bloodhound obediently followed behind Madame Rouge as she led them away from the other students. Though he knew what was coming next, Bloodhound had been none the wiser. He felt guilty, knowing that Bloodhound had worked so hard for this and yearned to be seen as equal. He could see it in how hard she pushed herself to keep up with him, the furrow in her brow as she tried to decode a difficult puzzle Aura gave her, her feelings of desperation, frustration, and inadequacy that would roll off of her in waves after a bad training session. She trusted him with her ambitions and to help guide her forward… and in a few minutes he would rip all of that away.

Madame Rouge guided them to another room where the other teachers had already gathered awaiting their arrival. Bloodhound looked about her in confusion as Venus quietly closed the door behind them.

"What's going on?" Bloodhound asked, turning to the rest of them. She was more than likely expecting another training session with Madame Rouge rather than a meeting.

"We're here to decide if you're ready to go on a mission," Madame Rouge explained with an encouraging smile, "chaperoned of course."

Instantaneously, Bloodhound's eyes glowed and Venus could sense the hope and excitement radiating off of her with his quirk. She had been waiting for this moment for months. Again, the feeling of guilt coiled in his gut and she gave him an odd look for it as she was able to smell his upset.

"I still don't think it's a good idea," Black Echo said gently, pulling her attention away from him. He held his hand up before she could argue, not needing eyes to know his decision would upset her. "You haven't even been with us for a year yet. In many ways you are just like our new students. There are students at the Academy who have to train for years before being allowed to go on a mission. There are some who graduate without ever being on a mission."

"But Venus gets to go on missions by himself," Bloodhound protested, "he doesn't even need a chaperone!"

"Venus has worked hard and earned his license for this. He has been training for the past ten years and is far ahead of those in his age group. He's even ahead of some seasoned agents in the field. You cannot compare the two of you despite your age."

Oh, Bloodhound didn't like that. She hated being reminded that she would never be able to catch up to him no matter how hard she tried.

"This isn't a suicide mission," Aura spat harshly, causing both Black Echo and Ace to flinch, "this is a B-ranked mission. I've been heading her training, I've seen her progress. She is more than ready to take on a mission."

"Aura is right. We can't keep coddling her forever," Akira chimed in with a practiced smile, "every bird must leave the nest eventually and I think it would be good for her to do a test flight. Even if she stumbles, she'll learn from her mistakes and Venus of course will act as her safety net. It's a yes for me."

"Well it's a no for me," Ace stated, shifting and crossing his arms. To his credit, the blonde man didn't even spare Venus a look as he upheld his end of the bargain. "Like Black Echo said, she's still undertrained despite all of the progress she has made over the past six months. Perhaps shadowing a seasoned agent in the field would be best, but Venus is still new to missions as well. We can't send in two newbies into the fold with good conscience."

"So they will both learn," Delphi shrugged apathetically, "they've been working together for the past six months and get along better than most at the Academy. If they get stuck, they'll figure it out. If they don't, they knew exactly what kind of life they signed up for when they joined the Agency."

"Which is even more reason not to send her," Madame Rouge interjected, as calm and composed as ever, "she's not ready to be an agent let alone the harsh realities of it. It would be a shame to compromise a very promising agent because we set them up for failure. Six months of training before a mission is unheard of. There's more to being an agent than knowing how to defend oneself." The teachers all leveled one another with their stares. Aura in particular was not happy with the outcome as Bloodhound was the one directly under his care.

"We seem to have reached an impasse," Akira noted before training Venus with a look, "Venus, what are your thoughts?"

Everyone's eyes were trained on him now, including Bloodhound who stood stiffly at his side. She had smelled his guilt from the moment they stepped foot in the room. He wondered if she would ever forgive him.

"She's not ready," he said at length but with a sense of finality to his words, "she hasn't had to truly struggle yet, not like the other agents in training at the Academy, because all of her sessions have been tailored to her strengths and weaknesses. She wouldn't know what to do in a crisis situation. I think… I think in the end, if she were to accompany me on this mission as she is now… she would only weigh me down."

He felt the telltale flare of hurt and betrayal beside him and he couldn't even look at her, instead training his gaze to the floor. What he didn't expect was for her to flee the room. Without a second thought, he rushed after her, only catching the tail end of Delphi's words.

"You're right… she's not ready…"

"Bloodhound!" he shouted after her, but she didn't stop, "Bloodhound, Bloodhound wait. Nicole!"

Using his longer legs, he finally caught up to her and gently grabbed her shoulder.

"How could you?" she hissed, shoving his hand off her shoulder. The air was stiff with her hurt and anger clouding his senses. "I thought you said we were a team. That I was doing well in my training. Was that all a lie? Am I some charity case you feel the need to feed false encouragement to because you pity me? Am I just some kind of burden to you that I would only _weigh you down_ on a mission?"

"Of course not and it's not all a lie," he rebuffed in frustration, "but you can't expect me to send you out into the field against my better judgement, and as you saw earlier, I'm not the only one who thinks you can stand to have a little more training."

"Why? Because I fall behind you in every single category?"

"This isn't about me."

"Of course it's about you!" she snapped, throwing her hands up in the air in anger, "it's always been about you and how you're so smart and talented and a prodigy in the making. How can it not be about you when I am constantly being compared to you in everything that I do!"

He could feel her roiling emotions. It wasn't too different than his old peers at the Academy whenever he had been praised in class for his progress, only this was personally hurtful to her which made it far worse. He knew she could smell his emotions too - his guilt, his bitter resentment, his frustration. Oh how he wished he could slip on a pleasant mask and fake his way through this like he was so used to doing. He hated being so exposed and vulnerable like this.

"You don't mean that. You're just angry and letting your frustration rationalize for you," he said but that only seemed to make her even more upset, "more training isn't a bad thing. It's dangerous out there and as your friend, I can't put your neck on the line like that."

"Hah, that's rich! You think we're friends?" she asked mockingly. His heart dropped at her words, but she didn't relent. He knew that this had been a long time coming. All of the toxic bottled up emotions they had been dancing around for months was now finally spilling over. In the end, there was no avoiding either of them getting hurt. "How can you say that we're friends? I don't know you. I know nothing about you because everything about you is ' _classified'_ like everything else that's being kept from me. I don't even know your real name! That's the problem with you, _Venus._ You take and you take but you never give. That's not how friendships work."

"You know I can't-"

"Just," she hissed, quickly silencing him, "don't. Leave me alone."

He watched her turn on her heel and stalk away, and he knew better than to follow her this time. He had considered her a friend - one of his very few friends in a world that seemed to pray for his destruction - and he had just ruined it. He had ignored her feelings instead of talking it out with her. She gave him her dreams and he in turn stood in her way between her and her ambitions. She trusted him with her identity and he couldn't even return the favor. She was right. He was selfish in nature and only knew how to take. He had no one to blame but himself with the outcome of his actions.

He placed his mission above their friendship. He didn't like it, but he didn't regret doing so and he would do it again without hesitation.

If it meant keeping her safe from his reality and all his enemies - he would sacrifice their friendship every single time.

* * *

To say that Strategy was an enlightening experience was an understatement. The others had taken a little longer to complete their matches as their movements weren't as sure as Suzuno's or his own, but he was certainly surprised by the results. Jai had won her match against Akia. Naoya personally wondered how challenging a game with her would be and if it would be like playing a computer. It wasn't unheard of to beat computers though and he was a little disappointed that they didn't have enough time to play tournament style. Hiroyuki, on the other hand, had won his match. Not because of his sheer brilliance or tactical skills - not that Hiroyuki wasn't keen himself, but he seemed to be less so than the rest of his peers - but because the boy had snagged his opponent's chess pieces every time Aria was distracted by another person's match. Aria was also so green to the game that she couldn't rebuff the many illegal moves he made either. Naoya had a sneaking suspicion that Hiroyuki didn't know how to play chess as well but he never commented on it. Aria on the other hand didn't even notice her opponent's underhanded tactics until she had only a few pieces remaining. Of course, she cried foul but Akira gave the win to Hiroyuki much to the girl's frustration. Something about needing to pay more attention to the mission at hand rather than to what other people are doing.

Just from the glimpse of her memories he had during their spar, he knew Aria was a self-conscious thing. She constantly compared herself to others and much like Suzuno she was so used to being the best. She was merely more subtle about it than the irritable blonde boy that the others hardly noticed it. He knew better though. He could see it in the way she objected to today's lesson. He could see it in her eyes as someone else made a particularly complicated maneuver that she didn't have the skill to make or defend against. Aria had a little green monster festering inside her and he wondered how long it would take before she showed her true colors.

Akira took his leave, giving them a short break before Delphi was to take over for Personal Psychology. Akia had seemed to somewhat recover from her little episode during Investigation and Jai and Hiroyuki were acting as their usual selves. Aria was still stewing in her loss but was putting on a convincing act as she wondered aloud what Personal Psychology would entail. Suzuno on the other hand was uncharacteristically quiet, though significantly less snappy than he was after his loss to Venus and Hiroyuki earlier. Rather, he seemed rather pensive, as if coming to his own enlightenment as well. Naoya wasn't about to dwell too long on whatever that meant. Instead, he rose from his seat and headed for the door.

"Where are you going?" Hiroyuki called out curiously, leaning back and balancing dangerously on the two back legs of his chair.

Naoya threw a casual smile over his shoulder at the others. "I'll be back. Just going to the restroom really quick."

Closing the door behind him, Naoya walked the quiet halls of the building. This particular building was made exclusively for class 1-L and none of the other classes at UA had authorization to enter. It made it feel oddly empty though. He was used to bustling schools where the sound of teachers droning and rambunctious students carried through the hallways. Here though, it felt almost desolate. Perhaps it was a morbid metaphor to how different an agent's life was to those of heroes and civilians. Not that he minded. He had already come to terms with his fate the moment he was accepted into UA.

The sound of footsteps made him pause in his wanderings. Up ahead, Black Echo turned the corner and began heading towards his direction.

Black Echo. The man was a mystery all in itself. Weaker kids would have balked at the idea of becoming an agent after hearing the man's story. It definitely wasn't a life everyone could commit themselves to.

The raven-haired man paused briefly in his stride as he approached him, sensing Naoya's presence. "Ah, I'm afraid I can't tell who it is," he said almost sheepishly, giving him a weak smile, "which student are you?"

A curious man indeed. And if Naoya was anything, he was also ferociously curious in nature, always seeking new knowledge and priding himself in his ability to pick people apart.

With no one but them in the empty hall, Naoya enveloped the man in black smoke without any sort of warning.

" _You, what is your name?" a tall and imposing man asked a young Black Echo._

 _The young boy paused in his training - having just broken and dislocated his classmates arm - to properly address his superior. He looked to the man with wide, unobscured blue eyes. "Black Echo, sir."_

 _A nod. "If you continue to excel, you will go far my boy."_

" _Thank you, Chariot sir."_

 _A blonde teen stumbled to the ground as one of his classmates hit him across the face with their reptilian tail. The others surrounding him merely laughed as he glared up at them in contempt._

" _How pathetic," a white-haired girl drawled apathetically from the sidelines, "he won't last the year."_

" _How did this kid even get in to the Academy? He doesn't even have a quirk," his attacker laughed._

 _In an instant, the kid was back on his feet with an angry shout and sloppily punched the other teen across the face._

" _Why you little-"_

" _What's going on here?" a slightly older Black Echo asked as he entered the training grounds._

" _This newbie is picking a fight with us during non-sparring hours," one of the kids was quick to say, pinning the blame on the blonde boy._

" _Is that so?" Black Echo asked, appraising the boy with a curious look, his eyes lingering on his bruising cheek. "As your elder, I'm disappointed in you." Without warning, a sickening crack echoed across the gym as Black Echo broke the reptillian's nose. "_ That _is how you throw a punch."_

 _The younger students including the blonde boy stood shell shocked. "But-"_

" _I don't appreciate liars, especially bad ones. If that is all, please leave the training grounds before I have to let Reaper know you were here during an unauthorized time." That seemed to smarten the kids up and they immediately scattered - all except the blonde boy._

" _I could have handled it," he muttered stubbornly._

" _I don't doubt you could have handled it but I doubt you would have come out of it the victor," Black Echo said nonchalantly as he passed by him, adjusting his training bag over his shoulder, "they'll target you, you know? People around here see quirkless individuals as easy prey to pick off. It won't be easy."_

" _I know it won't be easy," he groused, "so teach me how to fight like you!"_

 _Black Echo seemed taken aback by this before settling on an amused huff. "You're quite bold. What's your name, kid?"_

" _Ace."_

" _This is Hiroyuki Yukimura," Chariot introduced. The young tiger-dog boy didn't look up at Black Echo from his fixed gaze at the floor, but he didn't shy away from Chariot's encouraging touch either. "I've been working with him these past few years in hopes of helping him readapt to a normal life style. Hiroyuki, this is Black Echo - my personal assassin and bodyguard."_

" _It's nice to meet you, Hiroyuki," Black Echo offered gently, as if afraid he might startle the boy. Hiroyuki gave no indication that he heard him, instead clinging to Chariot's side._

" _Chariot, you can't send him on this mission," Black Echo objected, the mission report quivering in his trembling hands, "he won't stand a chance. He'll die."_

" _Of course he will," the older man scoffed at his desk, "it's a suicide mission."_

" _He's a good agent."_

" _He's expendable," Chariot corrected gruffly, "he doesn't even have a quirk."_

" _He's one of the best in his field!"_

" _Black Echo, stand down," the man snapped and the younger assassin was quick to shut down, "I know he was a former classmate of yours, but you are letting your emotions get the better of you. I am sending him on this mission not because I have some sort of vendetta against him, his teacher, or you. He is expendable, but he is still a capable agent and that is why I selected him for this mission. He will be able to keep his wits about him until he can get the information I need. Let him do his duty as an agent." Black Echo stayed obediently silent but there was a newfound resolve in his eyes._

" _Who do you work for?"_

 _WHACK_

" _He won't spill the beans. We've already tried beating the answer out of him."_

" _Well he's awfully pretty for an operative though…"_

 _Everything was black and yet, like a broken film reel, the torturous past few days played before his eyes over and over again like a never ending hell._

 _The sound of gunfire littered the air._

" _REN!" a familiar voice screamed as he felt a body rush beside him. Ace quickly began working at the knots that bound the mutilated and defiled man. "Oh god, what have they done to you?"_

" _Kaede?" Black Echo managed weakly, turning his face towards him. Naoya didn't need to see to feel the bloody tear tracks staining his cheeks._

 _He was in a bed now. Just sitting there doing nothing, he could still feel everything they did to him the past week. Ace was beside him as a blessed distraction though, absently tracing the bandages around the stump of his wrist because he no longer had a hand to hold._

" _Everybody out," Chariot demanded as soon as he walked through the medical bay doors._

 _The harsh screech of a chair filled the room followed by quick footsteps. He could hear a scuffle as the rest of Chariot's bodyguards restrained him. "You fucking bastard! He was your right hand man and you sent him to his death!"_

" _Get out now Ace or else I'll make sure that the two of you never see each other again." Ace was about to protest before Black Echo's soft voice cut through the revel._

" _Ace… please."_

 _Ace let out an angry huff and there was a series of shuffling before Chariot and Black Echo were truly alone._

" _He doesn't know, does he," Chariot finally said at length, "that you took his place?"_

" _No, and I think it's best that he doesn't ever find out."_

" _And now we finally agree on something," Chariot muttered beside him, "I seem to have mistaken your previous intentions. You love him." It wasn't a question._

" _...Yes."_

 _He sighed tiredly, taking the seat that Ace once occupied. "I should follow through with my threat of separating the two of you. You disobeyed your orders to leave his mission alone and you robbed me of one of my best agents by taking his place. He went against me as well, you know, going after you without so much as a warning. If he had died on his stupidly heroic excursion, your sacrifice would have all been for naught. It seems as though you two inspire recklessness and dissent in each other."_

" _...I know… but I will never regret taking his place."_

" _If you're certain," he said, standing up, "then he can manage your recovery during your indefinite retirement. As punishment, he can look upon the body of his mangled lover every day. I wonder if he could live with himself if he knew that you took the bullet for him."_

 _He couldn't feel his limbs but there were new ones there - albeit false ones._

" _You're making good progress," Ace commented distractedly as he finished straightening his new leg prosthetic, "it's different, but you're adjusting your fighting with the prosthetics well and…" he trailed off hesitantly._

" _I'm adjusting well despite the fact that I can't see," Black Echo finished for him. Ace was silent and the older agent sighed. "I wish I could see your face so I can know what you're thinking."_

 _Ace was quiet for a moment, before continuing. "It's amazing… how well you can still fight despite everything that happened."_

" _It just means I can return to my duties as an S-class agent."_

" _You can't."_

" _Ace, I'm fully capable of going toe to toe with you in a no holds barred spar. I thought you had more faith in me."_

" _I know that!" Ace snapped, his voice cracking at the end, "but you_ can't _. You can't go back to being an S-class. You're not the only one who has nightmares of that time and the progress you've made these past months_ terrifies _me. You can't. Promise me."_

" _... Only if you promise me that you won't either."_

" _Deal."_

Naoya opened the sliding door to the classroom, his classmates having had returned to a low hum of conversation. Aria looked up then with a tilt of her head.

"I was beginning to wonder if you would get here before Delphi showed up."

Naoya simply shrugged, giving everyone his usual pleasant smile. "I just ran into someone on the way."

And he was enlightened.

* * *

Black Echo stood in the empty lounge, quietly flexing and unflexing his false fingers. There was a feeling prickling at the back of his neck. It crawled up his arms and made him feel dirty no matter how hard he bit his tongue or scratched at his skin.

It was the feeling of being violated - a feeling he was all too familiar with.

His mind went back and forth, running over different scenarios as he tried to pinpoint why he was feeling this way in particular but he kept on drawing a blank… and perhaps that was the most telling detail.

Hesitantly, he reached for his burner phone in his pocket but before he could dial the number, his phone began to ring. He didn't need to see to know who it was.

"You saw it then?" he asked immediately.

"Of course… I see _everything_ ," Chariot replied.

* * *

 **A/N: I AM SO SORRY FOR THE LONG WAIT! I'm the worse, but life catches up to you, you know? And I'm slow at writing as it is. Next update might take a hot second as well as you know, the holiday season and all that.**

 **It's a little fast-paced, but I really just wanted to get this chapter out haha**

 **So anyway, a couple updates. For those who kept up with the Discord chat - I opened up the submissions very briefly for some more characters as a little treat for those who actively follow the story. So in a couple chapters, I'll be introducing two new TA's as well as a transfer student for class 1-L. I'm super excited to introduce them and I hope you guys like them!**

 **Suzuno: Okay, so everyone loves to hate on Suzuno but I actually kind of like him? Everyone else is pretty much civil and pleasant enough to get along with and he's just - decidedly not, which makes their class dynamic much more interesting in my opinion. I hope I helped you guys see what makes him tick and why he thinks/says/does the things he does. He's arrogant and a bit sheltered and spoiled, but he's a quick learner so we'll see how he shapens up going forward on his quest to be the very best.**

 **I also threw in a little Venus, Naoya, and Black Echo POV because they were the best perspectives to write those areas of the story in. There's much to speculate!**

 **I have a lot in store for next chapter - one being Personal Psychology with Delphi, another being Venus's mission, and the last biggie being a glimpse at our main villain of the story. I'm very excited to start working on it!**

 **So question time in case you're not really one for reviewing the chapter itself!**

 **1\. Out of all the classes we've seen so far, which is your favorite and which is your least favorite or the one you would struggle the most in and why?**

 **2\. If you had a quirk/lived in this universe, would you choose to be a civilian, a hero, or an agent and why?**

 **Thanks again everyone!**


	9. Burn Notice

_**I wish I wasn't such a narcissist**_

 _ **I wish I didn't really kiss**_

 _ **The mirror when I'm on my own**_

 _ **Oh god I'm gonna die alone**_

 _ **Adolescence didn't make sense**_

 _ **A little loss of innocence**_

 _ **The ugliness of being a fool**_

 _ **Ain't youth meant to be beautiful?**_

 **Burn Notice**

Aria sat in her seat, curling and uncurling her sharpened fingernails into the palms of her hands under the cover of her desk so the others wouldn't see her nasty habit.

It wasn't fair.

It wasn't fair that they played chess for Strategy when she didn't know how to play. It wasn't fair that Akira let Hiroyuki win when he had cheated. It wasn't fair that Hiroyuki did so well in combat without even trying. It wasn't fair that Suzuno, Jai, and Naoya had naturally gifted intellect when she had to study so, so hard to even get a fraction of it. It wasn't fair that Akia scored higher than her in the entrance exam when her plan only worked by pure chance. It wasn't fair that she was seated at the fifth desk when she had always always _always_ been first. Even if it wasn't her initial intention, she had been well-prepared for her role as an agent. She had taken self-defense classes. She had been enrolled in gymnastics and dance and the best academic programs. She had private tutors and lessons and knew how to speak so many different languages. She threw away her childhood for this. She traded best friends, sleepovers, and leisure time for blood, sweat, and tears. She gave up everything, so why? Why was it then that she wasn't the best?

It wasn't _fair._

Her fingernails almost dug in hard enough to draw blood. She had been so sure of herself. The entrance exam was just a fluke - a test based on luck and chance. She would prove herself to be the best in the classroom where it mattered most, and at first she did. She excelled in Stealth and Espionage and practically glowed under Madame Rouge and Venus's praise. She did fairly well in Combat, allowing herself to put her previous self-defense training to good use… but she knew she didn't stand a chance against the likes of Hiroyuki and possibly even Suzuno with his long range quirk or Jai who could analyze and copy movements. It made Aria incredibly bitter that Jai could possibly beat her and the robotic girl hadn't even put in half the time and effort it took Aria to get to where she was.

And then came Investigation where almost everyone outshone her. She had been correct, yet she felt completely out of her depth - only coming to some of her conclusions by riding the coattails of the others. It was almost worse than her loss in Strategy because everyone was on a leveled playing field and yet she still fell behind the others.

It wasn't fair…

"So what do you suppose the oracle of Delphi will throw at us?" Jai droned from her spot, half slumped over her desk in a bored manner.

Jai didn't even care as much she did. She didn't even put in as much effort. She didn't even want this as much as her. She didn't even-

Aria pulled a pleasant, if not tight smile.

"Who knows but any class called Personal Psychology sounds like it would be daunting."

"It would fit the class trend so far," Suzuno muttered from his desk across the room, still seemingly lost in thought since Strategy ended.

"But hey," Hiroyuki chirped, definitely in a far better mood than the rest of them. His ever-constant grin was almost grating on her nerves now and she itched to be the one to rid him of it. Misery liked company after all. "At least it's the last class of the day."

"You forget that we'll have to repeat it all tomorrow then," Jai deadpanned with a sigh, "what a drag."

"We all know what we signed up for though," Akia added, the quiet girl finally starting to perk up from her loss in Investigation.

"Big words for someone who literally cried in class," Suzuno grouched, causing Akia to stiffen. Jai and Hiroyuki watched on, curious to how the mousy girl will retaliate. Unsurprisingly, she didn't.

Akia shot him a bitter look before forcing her eyes down in submission. Nonetheless, the pink and blue haired girl had something to say. "The purpose of this first day is obvious, isn't it? They're pushing us hard to test our strengths and weaknesses, to gauge where we are, to see how well we follow orders. This isn't like beginner hero courses either. They've been gauging our mental strengths and weaknesses ever since we started the entrance exams. Our mental abilities have played a huge part in us even getting into this program. I don't doubt that this will be a topic of interest during Delphi's class."

Suzuno snorted, turning his elegant cheek. "It doesn't take a genius to figure that out."

"I'm not trying-"

"That's the thing," the blonde boy snapped impatiently, "you're not trying. I don't know how you got into this program when everything you've done so far has been lackluster. I'm surprised that you're not at the bottom of our class honestly. Your performance so far has been mediocre at best and it's really starting to piss me off."

Usually, Aria would play the calm and collected mediator and graciously try to diffuse the conversation, but she couldn't find it in herself to do so, not when she agreed with Suzuno's harsh words.

 _How did you beat me in class rankings when you're nothing special?_

The air around the room was tense, but no one dared to interrupt Suzuno's tirade. When Akia's expression wavered Suzuno's eyes narrowed in on that weakness immediately. "What? Are you going to cry again? If all you're going to do is cave and feel sorry for yourself then leave, but the rest of us have been busting our asses all day trying to get better. If we fail, we get back up and you need to start doing the same or else you'll be left in the dust. Now, are you going to cry about it like you did in Investigation or are you finally going to do something about it and stop holding back?"

Aria was puzzled as a serenely blank look crossed Akia's face as the soap-quirk girl finally met Suzuno's eyes. She wasn't sure what took place between them with that look, but they both seemed satisfied with what they found, ending with Suzuno's nod of approval.

"You're right," Akia conceded, rolling her shoulders back and sitting taller, continuing to confuse Aria with her sudden burst of determination after being torn down by Suzuno for the upteenth time that day.

He scoffed. "Of course I'm right. You better not hold back. I want to beat you at your best."

Naoya took that moment to enter the classroom again. Despite wearing his usual smile, he looked rather satisfied with himself as he took his seat.

She slipped on a practiced smile of her own in that moment. "I was beginning to wonder if you would get back in time."

"Just ran into someone on the way," the boy replied in kind as he settled himself.

"A minute later and you would have been barred from my class," Delphi's low, melodic drawled as the pale young woman entered the classroom.

And just like that, the room was bathed in darkness and Personal Psychology began. Aria felt that sickening feeling of being reeled and pulled as Delphi moved her like a marionette in this dream world of hers. She jerked to a sudden stop in her seat and winced as a bright light shone down on them. Giving her eyes time to adjust, Aria saw that they were rearranged in a circle in a darkened room with only a single spotlight shining down in the center as their source of light. As far as she could tell, there were no walls here, only a black void extending past their rendezvous point.

The others blinked away their disorientation as they took in their new surroundings. They all should be used to this by now but Delphi's quirk was always a bit unsettling. All of them, save for Hiroyuki, jumped when Delphi suddenly manifested into existence under the spotlight. She looked almost washed out under the harsh fluorescent light, like a specter waiting to cast judgement. It suddenly occurred to Aria that this was the first time they had seen the young teacher in her own dream world.

"Welcome to Personal Psychology," Delphi intoned, casting her cold gaze around the circle, "while the UA sector is new to the Agency, you are not the first agents to be trained nor will you be the last. We found it pertinent, however, to include an entirely new course in your curriculum. The Agency has observed over the years that the lack of support in psychological growth and development can easily break even the strongest of agents. In this class, we will discuss your strengths and weaknesses both physical and mental, the emotional baggage you bring to the table or will develop over time, and how we can either overcome these obstacles or learn to live with them."

"So what?" an unimpressed Suzuno bit out, "are we supposed to hold hands and share our _feelings?_ I suppose we'll sing our rendition of kumbaya and work on trust falls next?"

Delphi's piercing gaze slid over to the pretty blonde boy who never seemed to be able to shut his mouth. "So predictable," was all she said, causing Suzuno to bristle in indignation. She ignored it however as she began to pace around the circle. "Most field agents master the art of manipulation. They pretend to be someone else or prey on the emotions of others to get what they want. In a way, it is kind of like karma. When building relationships, the amount of effort and goodness you put into it, you'll get in return. This is typical of most human relationships." She stopped in front of Suzuno once more, casting a shadow as she towered over him. "That is not me. I am not your friend nor do I care about what you may think of me. I will not sugarcoat my words nor coddle you like some of the other agents are prone to do just because you are children. You became adults the moment you accepted your position in this class.

Delphi moved on from him then, continuing her lecture. "Perhaps I didn't make myself clear. The purpose of this class is so you can understand yourself and build trust among your peers. You need to have enough self awareness to understand your limits and enough insight to trust each other as a team. The stress all of you will face is why we push you so hard and try to psychologically prepare you, so you will be ready for the future ahead. Being an agent is a heavy burden to bear. It's like a destructive secret that slowly eats away at you the longer it festers. All of us have lost something dear to us along the way, and we can only hope to prepare you enough should you lose something dear to you. You have to find a way to cope with these trials or else this profession will break you.

"Now," she said, zeroing in on Akia. The pink and blue haired girl nearly squirmed under her gaze. "Let us begin."

Everything shifted once more. Aria felt nauseated as she was dragged in her seat across the circle. Now Akia sat in front of them while the rest of them formed a semi-circle around her like a jury about to declare her execution. Aria silently swallowed the lump in her throat, internally thankful that she herself wasn't the first to go.

"Kiyoraka Akia," Delphi began as she stood in front of the mouse of a girl, "Madame Rouge always had a way of picking the most weak minds and fragile hearts. You've been sheltered from the harsh realities of the real world all your life. With your father's work within a hero agency, you think you have an understanding of how cruel the world can be, but you can't even comprehend the horrors the Agency has had to deal with. Can you stomach it? You who refused to torture in the entrance exams? You who can't even face your first simulated kill?

Delphi didn't give Akia the time to respond before she continued on unperturbed. "This is entirely new to you and you're out of the safety of your comfort zone. You're intimidated. Good. That means that you aren't underestimating your classmates like a certain other student, but now the problem is that you are underestimating _yourself._

"You have potential but you hide so far deep inside yourself that none of that is coming out. We want the pre-recruit Akia who took down a villain single handedly, we want the first entrance exam results. What we don't want is whatever mediocrity you're pulling now. It's only the first day and you're already falling behind your peers. If you don't catch up, you'll be left behind. I will repeat the words of your classmate. Is this the right profession for you?"

To Aria's immense surprise, Akia squared her shoulders and met Delphi's gaze without hesitation. "Yes."

The pale woman looked back and regarded her contemplatively, as if actually _seeing_ Akia for the first time, before turning her gaze elsewhere in disinterest. "We'll just have to see now, won't we? For your sake, I hope you can show us by your future performance that you have what it takes. What we will need to work on in the future is your confidence and getting rid of that inferiority complex."

Akia opened her mouth to reply but Delphi merely waved her hand, shuffling the board once more. Naoya sat before them now, looking almost as ghostly under the light as their sensei.

"Saito Naoya. Let's skip the pleasantries, shall we? As seen from your exam results, you're ruthless, willing to do whatever means necessary to get what you want." She glanced at the rest of them briefly, giving their confused expressions a knowing look. "Oh but _they_ wouldn't know about that, would they? How you mentally fucked a girl's mind until she was in hysterics begging you to stop? How cruel you are willing to be to get what you want? How can they trust you when the very foundation of your relationships and their memories are at your mercy?"

The five of them, including Aria, sat stock still as they faced the boy in question in a new light. Despite Delphi exposing him, Naoya sat as cooly as ever, watching and listening to Delphi serenely as if she were merely commenting on the weather, and perhaps it was his apathy that made Aria involuntarily shiver. Her nails curled into the wood of her seat and her skin crawled at the memory of her spar with him - how he was able to pick apart her weaknesses with just a brief glance at her memories. Even then she felt so violated and exposed and she hadn't even experienced his quirk's full potential. A chill settled into her bones as Delphi's words finally sunk in.

She was right. Aria _couldn't_ trust him. She would be a fool to.

"You all are working to improve your individual skills, but ultimately, the goal is for the six of you to be a _team._ Teams require trust and loyalty, and at the moment, you have yet to prove you can be trustworthy or loyal. Rather, you seem to be only loyal to your own wants, and what exactly is it that you want? I believe you said the reason why you're here is because you want to uphold the 'greater good.' That is fine. It's almost a mundane motivation among those in the Agency.

"However, with a quirk like yours, agents like you are put on a black list because we can't always guarantee what you want aligns with what we want. Your loyalty and interests lie only with yourself and your ambitions, not with this organization, not with your team, and certainly not with the good of society as you so claim. You may be content for now, but if there ever comes a day when your idea of good becomes twisted or misguided, you'll no longer be an agent we can control - a dangerous agent at that. Know that there will always be eyes on you," She leaned in then, closer than she had gotten to any student until they were face to face and Naoya had nowhere else to look but her eyes. "One more wrong move and you're good as dead, Mind Eater. There are no second chances in our profession.

Naoya remained perfectly stoic - perhaps too stoic - as Delphi backed off. "What we will need to work on in the future is discipline and salvaging whatever relationship you have with your peers. Watanabe Jai, you're next."

They switched once more, the blank-faced cybernetic girl sat front and center now, her short blue hair almost comically tousled from the constant moving.

Jai quirked a brow at their teacher, seemingly unbothered by it all. "So? What can you psychoanalyze about me, oh wise Oracle?"

"You are a lot like me," Delphi said, eliciting a doubtful look from Jai, "because of your quirk, you do not process emotions like most others do. Your apathy is a strength in many ways. Emotions do not cloud your judgement and morality is not a question for you. It is an ideal asset when carrying out orders or making decisions that may be difficult but are necessary. However it is because you do not value or understand emotions that this asset becomes a double edged sword. You cannot predict your enemies next move because you lack the ability to relate to their motives and desires. You are not able to become someone else and hide in plain sight like an undercover spy because you lack empathy. If you do not understand emotions, you will never be more than an intelligence worker like me, and not even a strategist. Therein lies our next issue

"Your results thus far have been satisfactory, but there is a recurring theme. In Stealth and Espionage you analyzed and copied Madame Rouge's movements to get you through her course, in Combat you analyzed and copied Hiroyuki's movements to replicate in your own spar, in Investigation you used a fingerprint recognition program when scanning for evidence… and I am willing to bet that in Strategy you used a chess program to analyze Akia's moves and determine what to do next, correct?"

Jai leaned back in her chair lazily and shrugged, not seeing the point in denying it. "Nothing gets by you, huh?"

"I'm sure you see the pattern," Delphi continued, ignoring Jai's witty remarks, "sure, you can analyze and copy answers or use a convenient program to find a solution, but what of innovation? Anyone can copy existing work, but geniuses create. That is what holds you back from being better than people with minds like Naoya, Suzuno, and Akia. They create, inspire, surprise - but you? You get by with decent results, but you are never the top contender. As you are now, you could only take orders, never give them. You are literally a robot for someone else to control. We want you to be more than that. What you'll need to work on in the future is empathy and innovation. A daunting task, I know," Delphi drawled sarcastically before moving onto the next victim.

Suzuno sat before them now under the harsh glare of the light.

"If you haven't gotten the trend yet, your weakness is that you're an arrogant little shit," Delphi deadpanned straight off the bat, never one to spare any niceties. "You have potential when utilizing your quirk and brain correctly but you keep failing because you underestimate your peers and enemies. That's how agents wind up dead."

"Well I'm trying to get better," Suzuno snapped, the first out of all of them to talk back. Aria expected Delphi skewer him, but was taken aback by Delphi's calm response.

"And you're the only one who's been improving since coming here. Congratulations. We only had to beat that one into you twice. You still continue to be cocky but I think that might just be an unfortunate personality flaw-"

"Hey-"

"An unsurprising product of your upbringing. A mother dead in childbirth. A rich, overprotective father who showered you with the best money could buy. Of course you grew up to think you're god's gift to us mere mortals. It also sheltered you from the horrors of this world and you never really had to work hard for anything. Oh, but I bet you're finding that you have to really work hard if you want the gold now. I think you're quickly learning that this isn't some game. Ironically enough, I will throw your own words back at you. Is this the right profession for you?"

"Yes," Suzuno hissed, baring his teeth.

Delphi gave a noncommittal hum as she grew bored with his antics. "What we'll need to work on is your attitude and your ability to play well with others."

With a wave of her hand, Aria was reeled again and she felt her stomach drop as she faced the others now. Their eyes pinned her down now and she had to keep herself from squirming in her seat. Rather, she forced the years of lessons back into her bones, straightening her posture and crossing her ankles prettily. She desperately tried to diminish every imperfection, every possible weakness under the sharp eyes of her teacher.

"Ah there you go again," Delphi commented airily, causing Aria to immediately stiffen, "picture perfect Aria. Star student at a prestigious academy, you had private tutors, language courses, self-defense lessons, you were a competing gymnast and pianist, placing first in everything you did... So tell me, how do you like being fifth out of six in class rankings?" Delphi asked suddenly, catching Aria completely off guard. Unlike the others, however, the teacher actually seemed to expect a response from her.

Swallowing, Aria tried to deliver with as much grace as she could muster. "It's a new... experience."

Delphi rolled her eyes at her response. "How diplomatic." The pale woman leaned slightly forward, her eyes sharp and condescending. "It's not a very good feeling is it? No, I bet it's actually a very ugly feeling. I know your type very well. There are always people like you in the Academy, those who strive to be the best but hold it a little too personally. A little too close to their hearts. These kinds of people will do anything to appear perfect in the eyes of their peers and superiors, frantically hiding or minimizing any stray flaw they may have. You're a perfectionist, a suck up, a people pleaser. You're used to being the best, having the best ideas, and being the center of praise and attention. So what happens when people like this are challenged?" Delphi questioned, raising an elegant brow, "they self destruct. You never had competition like this before - people who are smarter than you, faster than you, stronger than you without putting forth as much effort as you. People beating you in almost every activity you participate in without even putting forth their full potential. You may have been the best where you're from, but so were the rest of your classmates. Handpicked by our very own staff, you all are meant to be the best of the best or at least have the potential to be. Despite these expectations, however, you won't get the recognition you crave in this profession.

"As an agent, you have to be ready to sacrifice any dreams of becoming famous like pro-heroes, sacrifice the relationships of those you care about in order to protect them, sacrifice your own moral beliefs if it means saving countless others. This isn't a child's game or a profession meant for the faint of heart. We sacrifice ourselves mind, body, and soul, and that is why not everybody has the capacity to make it through this program.

"You said that you wanted to make an impact in the world. It's a lovely dream, but tell me, if a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? Your success will not be documented, no one will remember your name, your legacy will be silently erased with the passage of time like all the agents before you. With your ego, do you truly believe this is where you belong? We won't hold it against you if you decide to leave now before you're in too deep."

Aria gripped the hem of her skirt, wrinkling the fabric as it twisted in her fingers. "I can do it."

"It's not a matter of if you can make it as an agent, it's a matter of if you _want_ to. Or perhaps you're running from a different fate? How would your life be different, I wonder, if we had never recruited you? Would you continue on as a pro-hero or a police officer? Would you have put those countless of lessons to good use as a diplomat or an interpreter? Would you have been even able to choose your own destiny, what with those mommy issues of yours?" Aria involuntarily stiffened and Delphi gave her a slow, wolffish smile. "Did I hit a nerve?"

The brunette sat up straighter, lifting her chin higher in an attempt to maintain some sort of dignity and control over the quickly spiraling conversation. "That's none of your business."

Her teacher laughed then. It was the first time she had heard Delphi laugh, but it was a cold, empty sound that made even the other students stiffen.

"None of my business? You've got some gall, holding yourself in such high regard." Delphi loomed over her then, her delighted smile and her crinkling eyes much more expressive than ever before but in a much more cutting way, as if she took pleasure in being cruel. In that moment, Delphi was more reminiscent of a snake than even Akira. "Who do you think conducted your screenings? Who do you think did your background checks and psychanalyzed every one of you before we even let you through the doors of the entrance exam? I know the dirt on every single one of you. I know who you love. I know how you tick. I know your insecurities. I know how to break every single last one of you without even lifting a _finger_. Your business became my business the second Madame Rouge took note of you."

Delphi stood back then, looking down her nose at Aria, making her feel that much smaller than before. "I was thinking we would need to work on your sportsmanship and team dynamics, but perhaps your impudence needs to be checked as well."

Delphi waved her hand, a clear stinging dismissal as the room reshuffled, leaving Hiroyuki as the last in the center. Delphi took one look at him before turning away in disinterest with a sense of finality.

"You don't even want to be here. You're a complete waste of my time."

She lifted her hand as if to dispel her quirk, but Hiroyuki stood up from his seat, his abrupt movement causing the chair to loudly scrape against the tile.

"I want to be here because Chariot wants me to be here," Hiroyuki said calmly despite how quick he was to object to her. She regarded him quietly, as if sizing up the class anomaly, before flicking her wrist, forcefully flinging Hiroyuki back into his chair a little too harshly. Aria and the others jumped at the blatant display of power. She hadn't considered that Delphi could be a fighter as well - a dangerous one at that.

"Sit down, I'm psychoanalyzing you," she replied coolly. She circled him like a hawk then, thrumming her fingers against the chair in a way to dispel her high-strung energy. Hiroyuki, all the while, sat completely still and his face was oddly neutral as well - rid of that carefree, lopsided smile he always seemed to have. "What to unpack, what to unpack? I could write a dissertation on your case and it wouldn't be nearly enough to dissect the intricacies of everything that is wrong with you. You, my dear student, have the most baggage out of everyone here combined.

"Venus and Bloodhound stand like soldiers, they act like soldiers, they obey like soldiers. You act as if you've seen war. You've been through some shit. You know it, I know it, the staff knows it, and Chariot knows it. That's why he's sent you here, to break yourself out of these unhealthy habits that you have. You lack a sense of ownership over your own body and you make up for that behind ugly clothes, odd hobbies, and a joking facade. But that's not enough to become your own person because you want to be here because someone told you to. You came here because someone told you to. You remain here because someone told you to. You lack self sufficiency and are too dependent on those around you for direction and a sense of purpose. I'm telling you that it's a waste of our time if you don't want to be here for yourself. You want to be an agent? Prove it, but stop wasting our time half-assing your way through our lessons. I'm fully aware of what you are capable of. Give it your all or get out of this school. There are others who would literally kill to be in your shoes who are much more worthy of the position." She scrutinized him then, again lifting her hand to dispel her quirk. "You, on the other hand, have yet to prove your worth."

Aria lurched forward in her desk as the illusion was dropped and she was jarred back into the waking world. The others were a little worse for wear themselves save for Hiroyuki who was uncharacteristically quiet and staring hard at his desk in contemplation. Delphi on the other hand stood imperiously over them, watching them with apathetic disinterest.

"This concludes today's lesson. Moving forward, we will continue to address your weaknesses both physical and mental and work on improving them. Ultimately you are a team and as such it is important to know each other's strengths and weaknesses so that you know what blind spots you'll need to cover in the future. Though it may seem like it, this is not a class to punish or wrong you. The first step towards growth is being self-aware that you have weaknesses to improve upon and recognizing that these weaknesses affect the people around you. It is okay to have flaws - we all do. Being imperfect is simply a fact of being human, but it is also no excuse to allow amenable traits to fester and get in the way of your work or the work of others. As agents, we do not always get the luxury of slipping by with flawed performances. I'm sure Black Echo is a good enough example of that." Delphi stepped back, her face growing bored and apathetic once more as she glanced briefly at the clock. "There are no other assignments for you today other than to think about the issues I have addressed, how they may hinder yourself and your teammates, and how you can work on strengthening those weaknesses with your training. You are dismissed for the day."

Despite Delphi taking her leave, the rest of them didn't move from their seats, not even after their teacher shut the door behind her. A silence set into the room, a first for the odd bunch of students. Unsurprisingly enough, Suzuno was the first to speak.

"Well I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it certainly wasn't that," the blonde boy said carelessly as he stood up from his desk and roughly shouldered his bag. He made his way to the front of the room and sat against the teachers' desk, crossing his arms imperiously as he frowned at the others. "She's right though. We do not work well together, and as much as _I_ hate to be the one to say it, we need to work together or else we will fantastically fail together. From what I can glean from everything that we learned today, it seems like we are a very select group - more so than the average agent trainee. Like Delphi said, we were handpicked, expected to be the best and a cut above the rest - different from this so-called 'Academy' they keep bringing up… Are my assumptions correct, Hiroyuki?"

They all looked to the boy in question who finally looked up from his desk. The unspoken question, however, was if Hiroyuki knew more than he was letting on. Delphi's insight on him had practically confirmed their suspicions, but Suzuno wanted it from his own mouth. Hiroyuki's ear twitched as he debated his answer before finally nodding his ascent. "Yes."

Suzuno nodded in satisfaction. "We have a lot going against us. Our personalities, backgrounds, and motives are so mismatched it's not even funny. That doesn't give us a free pass or mean that our teachers will go easy on us though. Like they said, there are high expectations of us especially as the first UA class of agents, but we can't move forward if we don't work together. First thing we need to address is where we stand in the agency and the inner workings of this organization we have just signed our lives to. I'm sure Hiroyuki could do a wonderful job of summarizing this for us."

"Why don't we get together this weekend?" Aria suggested, perking up. "It would be a good way to get all our questions answered and get to know each other better. It wouldn't even be too odd either. Everyone else thinks that we're just normal general studies students attending UA anyway. We can even share tips to help each other out. It could even be like a study group." At the several hesitant and doubtful looks sent her way, Aria straightened. "I've competed in many groups growing up. The best ones succeeded because it was a team effort. I know some of you may not be used to team bonding or even having people you trust, but like Suzuno said, we need to put our pride aside and work together if any of us want to succeed."

Jai sighed and pushed up from her desk. "Fine, but I like to sleep in on the weekends so let's make this an afternoon affair."

"I'm in too," Akia said encouragingly as she too gathered her things.

"I suppose it couldn't hurt," Naoya said thoughtfully.

"Where did we want to meet up?" Hiroyuki asked, his childlike curiosity perking up once more.

"Don't worry about it," Aria assured with a grin, "leave the planning to me."

* * *

A fog blanketed the room, filling every occupant's lungs with smoke with each breath. The steady beat from the entertainment room down below bled into the private room in soft, lulling pulses. A cheetah mutant bodyguard stood watch at the door as the suited men murmured among themselves through their glasses and cigars.

"Did the newest shipment from America come in?"

"Right on schedule, though they need to be broken in a bit. We still have a few defiant ones in the bunch that need to learn the order of things, but we have our methods."

Yozuharu, a stocky older man at the table scoffed as he exhaled the smoke from his cigar. "Your methods are laughable. Your stock may be obedient but they shiver like leaves in the wind. Nobody wants an unwilling pet unless they have some sort of kink." He paused in his tirade to look down beneath the table. "Did I say you could stop?"

An ashen blonde head peaked up from beneath the table as a pale hand snaked up the older man's thigh in an attempt to appease him. Venus batted his lashes up at the man coyly, sending him a hint of fabricated pleasure and satisfaction through his quirk. "You're just so big, forgive me Yozu-sama."

"You see," Yozuharu laughed as he grabbed a handful of blonde hair and _shoved_ , "they're nothing like this gem here. They're too scared to even look you in the eye let alone your cock. It's a shame Yoshiro's no longer around. Nobody made them quite like that man. Now _that's_ a guy who could get you a pet that will obey every command."

"He was too tied up with the Ikeda Syndicate," another man sighed without batting an eye at the gagging sounds coming from beneath the table, "it got him good business, yes, but that family was ultimately his downfall."

"Ah the Ikedas. Yes, I remember them well. What I wouldn't have given to fuck old Harusha's wife raw. The man was brutal, but he sure knew how to pick a pretty face for his arm. Too bad she bit the dust too. I would've given her a bed to warm before Harusha's body was even cold."

His colleague guffawed as he put out his cigarette. "You're too crass, Yozuharu. It's not good to speak ill of the dead. Bad luck, they say."

"What are the Ikedas going to do?" Yozuharu drunkenly challenged, "haunt me from the grave?"

The American man stood first after finishing his drink. "Gentlemen, thank you for your hospitality, but duty calls. I have a shipment to break in and need to get an update from my scouts back in the States. As always, it's been a pleasure doing business with you."

"I'll make sure to take a proper look at your stock once you've reigned them in," Yozuharu waved off, "one of my men lost a finger to a shredding quirk-user when he tried to test the goods. It was a waste that we had to put her down for how much I paid for her. I want my goods willing and at the ready if I'm to sell them in my territory."

"As you wish, Yozuharu-san."

"Good. I don't want a repeat incident," the man barked before gesturing towards the door. "This meeting is over, the rest of you, go enjoy the services here. They actually have _properly_ trained girls here."

Quietly, Venus stood to leave as well before being bruisingly yanked back down onto the older man's lap. "Not you, Naomi. I plan to get _all_ of the services that I paid for tonight."

Venus wanted to scream, to claw out his eyes and smack the hands that snaked between his legs. Instead, he smiled beautifully through half-lidded eyes and spread his legs voluntarily. The red fabric of his form-fitting dress hiked up dangerously high with the movement. "I wouldn't dream of anything less, Yozuharu-sama."

"And not a word about this to anyone, you hear me boy?"

"Of course, Yozuaru-sama," Venus replied sweetlyl, untying the red ribbon around his throat to reveal his adam's apple, "I can be _very_ discrete."

Thirty minutes later, Venus stumbled out of the private room, pulling down the hem of his dress to cover himself while wiping the corner of his mouth. Yozuharu followed shortly after, adjusting his belt-buckle with a satisfied smirk.

"Good work as always, Naomi," Yozuharu whispered in his ear before grabbing his rear meaningfully and slipping a wad of bills down the front of his dress. His touch lingered and Venus wanted to pull away as if it burned, but he forced himself to stay put. He could feel the man's tongue dart out against his neck and he nearly winced at the slimey contact. "I'll be sure to call on you another time."

"I'll be sure to keep myself free for you then, Yozu-sama. Don't leave me too lonely."

Yozuharu took Venus's breathy reply as a good sign as he gave him a lecherous grin. "I won't keep you waiting for long."

Venus grimaced as the older man left a sloppy kiss on his neck and smacked his rear for good measure. With the dismissal, Venus made a beeline for the door as elegantly as he could without looking too eager to escape. He wanted to put as much distance between himself and the establishment as soon as possible. Venus stumbled through the side entrance to the club into the seedy night. Alone with his thoughts now, he wanted to claw at his arms and scrub his skin raw. He swore he could still feel the vile man's lips pressed against his neck. He certainly still felt the fresh ache in his hair and between his legs and could still taste the man in his mouth. Venus wanted to purge the memory of Yozuharu from his body physically and mentally.

As he refocused, the lanterns of the Red Light District burned just enough for him to make out a swaying figure at the other end of the alley. Just his luck; this was the last thing he wanted to deal with right now. Taking a deep breath, he crossed his arms and looked down, trying to make himself appear smaller as he tried to hurry past the man. He almost made it too, but the drunken stranger grabbed him from behind, pressing their bodies close together. Venus felt the man's arousal against his back before he felt it through his quirk.

"Heyyyy honey," the man slurred. Venus nearly gagged at the putrid smell of curdled milk, vomit, and alcohol coming off the man as the stranger moved his clothed hips against his. "Where you goin'? Pretty lil' things like you shouldn't be walkin' alone at night." He started groping then and it took all of Venus's training and patience to remain relaxed and still. "You like that don't you? Pretty lil' whores like you just want to be used and filled up by men like me. Tell you what, I'm gonna bend you over this bin here and fuck ya till the sun comes up. I'll leave ya screamin' my name and with somethin' nice and creamy for the road. You'd like that huh? Like me to-"

Quick and swift, the man went down with Venus's hair ornament lodged into his jugular. The blonde boy looked on impassively as the man twitched on the pavement. Without as much of a warning, Venus grabbed the ornament and pulled, causing a river of blood to bubble up from the man's throat and leaving the drunken man gagging and bug-eyed like a fish out of water. A quick wipe on the deadman's shirt and the ornament found its home back in his ashen blonde hair. Without a word, the eighteen year old boy walked into the glow of the Red Light District lanterns.

What Madame Rouge didn't know wouldn't hurt her.

Because it would break her heart if she found out.

* * *

Icarus swirled the cognac in his glass as he watched the lower level of the club from the glass-encased observation deck. Young faces smiled and aimed to please the older clientele with flashy quirks and swaying hips in an attempt to earn their keep. They knew there were dire consequences if they couldn't keep up. The foreign ones were at a further disadvantage. Being high in demand and not knowing the language, they had no allies in this unforgiving territory. He did not envy their position or how they came to be there, but he didn't have the luxury to dwell on their plights or have empathy. Compassion didn't get him the territories he had conquered.

He continued to watch impassively as the major players of this territory exited one of the private rooms. Human trafficking had been big back in the day, but now the industry was struggling to supply quality goods to fit the growing demand. Powerful people wanted to surround themselves with powerful quirks, but they didn't want a guard dog that would turn around and bite them as well. There was no one who could train and manipulate another human being quite like Yoshiro. Icarus had personally seen Yoshiro's work when the man was still at large and he couldn't deny that he was impressed with the results in a morbidly fascinated way. Unfortunately, the man's downfall was putting all his eggs in one basket. When the Ikedas fell, Yoshiro fell with them.

He took a lazy swig of his drink, savoring the bitter burn down his throat that was somehow sweeter than the memories he had unintentionally dredged up. He never cared for human trafficking but business was business and he wasn't about to close off one channel of income into his territory because of moral high ground of all things. He'd be a hypocrite to pass judgement because he was anything but a saint.

He brought his glass once more to his lips before pausing as another body stumbled out of the private room. It was a young, pretty slip of a girl who crudely yanked her dress down and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. It wasn't too hard to deduce what exactly she had been doing in there, especially as Yozuharu followed her out with a satisfied grin. It was only when the older man groped her once more did Icarus really get a good look at her face. He stilled then, narrowing his eyes as he watched the situation unfold.

"Yuriko," he motioned to his assistant without taking his eyes off of the girl, "who is that?"

"Yozuharu, sir?" the woman in question asked slowly, "you've met him before."

"No, the one beside him. One of the club's pets?"

Yuriko squinted but shook her head. "No not one of theirs and the next shipment isn't due until next week. Must be one who wandered in from the Red Light District. Why the sudden interest sir?"

Icarus thrummed his fingers and watched as Yozuharu shoved bills down the boy's front and groped him one last time for good measure. The boy's dark blue eyes flashed dangerously, but he smiled even more prettily as he managed to get away.

"Bring Yozuharu up here. I want a word with him."

Yuriko looked like she wanted to question him, but merely nodded her ascent. "Of course, sir."

"You have three minutes."

Yuriko paused at the door to throw the blonde man an unimpressed look. "Someone's in a bad mood tonight," she grouched but the order kicked the mercenary into gear as she descended into the club below. As efficient as ever, Yuriko had the man of the hour sitting before him by the time he finished his drink. He watched from the corner of his eye as Yozuharu eased into the leather chair lazily. His pupils were still blown wide with desire and he sported a shit-eating grin flushed with the afterglow of sex. As he silently studied him, Icarus found himself wanting to pry every tooth from that smile of his.

Patience is a virtue.

"Icarus, what a pleasant surprise," Yozuharu greeted loudly as he began lighting a cigar.

A surprise indeed, though pleasant was far from it. He swirled the ice in his glass idly. "Yozuharu-san."

"I see you brought your own pet with you," the older man leered as his eyes raked Yuriko's frame, "she's too old for my taste, but fighters are always good in the sheets. Care to share?"

Yuriko frowned and Icarus hummed. "Yuriko's her own woman. She may be loyal to me but she's a mercenary for hire so I'd be careful where you stick your cock unless you want it chopped off completely." He swirled the ice again, his new redirection of his restless energy. "Speaking of which… we have a strict policy about bringing outsiders into the facility due to the sensitive information shared here. I noticed you seem to have forgotten this rule."

Yozuharu stiffened then, his face growing red. "Come off it. You come waltzing into the area with all these new rules and regulations as if you know how to run shit. Young upstarts like you still need to respect your elders. You don't even have half the experience I do. I know what I'm doing. She was just some dumb whore. Nothing more than a good, cheap fuck. She's probably sucking off some new guy as we speak."

Icarus actually felt his cheek muscle twitch this time in annoyance. "That _dumb whore_ was with the Agency and could've snapped your neck faster than it took you to come." He leaned forward as Yozuharu grew increasingly pale. The Underworld hadn't forgotten how the Agency butchered the Ikedas all those years ago and it still felt the aftermath of the whole affair. "And I think we both know that _girl_ is anything but. Oh no need to look abashed now, I don't care if you prefer male company. I do care, however, that you brought a Trojan Horse into my establishment. Now, do you prefer to lose your tongue or your fingers first?"

That got the man sputtering then. He tried to stand, but Yuriko's firm grip kept him in place. "I-Icarus, please, I'm sure we can work this out. The bitch doesn't know we know yet. I can lure her back and-"

"The more you talk, the more I'm thinking your tongue should go first." Yuriko brandished a knife, but Icarus held up a hand to stop her. "I think I'll do the honors this time."

"Sir, please, I-" Yozuharu begged before being cut off my his own rapidly swelling tongue.

"Ah, much better." Icarus languidly smiled as he stood, straightening his pressed suit jacket. "You know, many associate quirks with the work of miracles. I, on the other hand, like to think of them through a scientific lens. Let's take mine for example.

 **—-/—-**

 **Name: Icarus**

 **Quirk: Mind and Body**

 **—/—-**

"I can manipulate your body's processes and the chemical makeup of your brain. You know, allergic reactions are our body's hyper immune response to foreign substances like say, the tobacco leaves found in cigars." Icarus grinned as Yozuharu began to struggle as he choked on his own tongue. "Allergic reactions can be life-threatening due to the inflammation and swelling that can block off the airway, meaning death in minutes if not taken care of. You could breathe better, if I cut your tongue out. Really, I'd be doing you a favor.

"As you can probably conclude, my quirk relies on my knowledge of the human body, but I do genuinely enjoy studying how quirks work. Now what was your quirk again? Ah yes, acid breath was it? Because I blocked your airway, you can't expel your quirk…" Icarus shot him a cruel smile. "Doesn't mean you can't use it though. Your quirk must originate from your lungs for it to be released via exhalation, but it can't be all produced there or else it would completely throw off your body's pH balance. Rather, it must be a chemical process. What's another area with plenty of chemicals and acids? Your stomach of course! Now if I alter your vestibule just so…"

Yozuharu turned from blue to green. Tears and snot dribbled from Yozuharu as he began to lurch and gag on his own vomit. With nowhere else to go, his vomit began to enter his lungs. His hands clawed at the arms of the leather chair he was forced into and he kicked wildly as his muffled screams and groans filled the room.

"Ah, my hypothesis must be right then. It's a combination of gastric acids reacting with a chemical compound produced by your respiratory system unique to your quirk. I wonder though, how long it will take for your acid breath to eat away at your flesh from the inside out if you can't expel it. Let's find out."

Icarus observed as the heavy-set man writhed under Yuriko's death grip in agony. He tilted his head in morbid fascination as the telltale scent of burning flesh reached his nostrils, and steadily, Yozuharu's movements grew weaker and slower until Icarus was sure he was nothing but a corpse. Sure enough, the man's throat began to cave in, the bright green acid revealing itself as it ate through flesh and bone.

Grimacing, Yuriko released the body and the remains of Yozuharu slumped inelegantly in the chair. Brushing her white hair over her shoulder, she frowned at her employer.

"You're unusually brutal tonight. You don't usually like to play with your food."

Icarus hummed in ascent, turning to face the club below. "Perhaps, but even you have to admit Yozuharu was as repulsive as he was disrespectful. There's still plenty of traffickers vying for the top spot now that old Yoshiro is gone. It's really no loss to me if I lose one in my territory. There will always be others to pick up the slack."

"If you say so, Icarus. However, what will your other business partners think when they hear of this? Their support and loyalty to you may waver if they find out that you're killing them indiscriminately."

" _If_ they find out. I don't intend them to." Icarus sat back down then, eyeing the corpse across from him thoughtfully. He silently wondered if he had let the man off too easy. Perhaps he should've dragged it out for what it was worth. He hardly had enough time to enjoy himself and savor Yozuharu's groveling. With that, his thoughts wandered back to the young agent he had spotted earlier. "For an organization hellbent on making things right in the world, it's disgraceful how they use barely legal children to do an adult's job."

"Makes sense though if it was Yozuharu they were after," Yuriko pondered, glancing at the mutilated body, "Yozuharu was weak-willed, loose-tongued, and always had a penchant for pretty young blondes."

Icarus stood to leave then. "Then I did myself a favor by weeding him out. Regardless of what information Yozuharu might have leaked, we will continue on with our current plans for UA." He turned once more to send Yuriko a sharp smile. "Oh, and one more thing. Dump the body outside the gates of UA. I think a message needs to be sent to our dear agents."

"You're challenging them?"

"I'm warning them," he clarified breezily before giving the older woman an inquisitive look, "If I remember correctly, you have a daughter currently attending UA. Will that be a problem?"

Yuriko frowned and looked away, suddenly feeling an odd mix of nostalgia and detachment. "No, it won't be a problem."

"Even if she gets caught up in all this?"

"It feels like a lifetime ago when I held her in my arms, but I was never cut out to be a mother and my daughter grew up just fine without me. Her life is entirely her own now. Whatever happens to her and what decisions she decides to make, it's no longer my place to intervene."

"Good. I wouldn't want to put you in a position of conflict after all." Icarus crossed the threshold with finality. "Take care of the body for me. I want the Agency to know that we're coming."

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **I feel like this is a reoccurring theme**

 **"Hey I'm not dead, here's a long chapter"**

 **The plot thickens with the appearance of our main villain. So I hope you guys liked this chapter and I have a special treat for you next chapter with introducing some new faces to our team! We'll be having a closer look at the Academy next time!**

 **So here are the standard questions, you know the drill**

 **1\. Where would be a good place for our favorite students to have a heart to heart?**

 **2\. What do you think of the quick look at our new villains?**


	10. A Summary

**A/N: Hey everyone! I've already mentioned this to everyone on the Discourse chat, but with working full time and going to school full time, I'm unable to find the time to continue writing this story. Instead, I've written down a basic summary of what I had planned. Again, I apologize and thank each and everyone of you for reading up until this point. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I have. If anyone has any questions that arent covered in this, feel free to shoot me a PM or post in the Discourse. Thanks!**

[Prologue: A Modest Proposal]

The prologue introduces six mysterious characters who, in the aftermath of Stain's influence causing a surge in villains, propose to start a new branch at UA to train secret agents. As UA has state of the art facilities, it would provide their future students with plenty of resources while also hiding in plain sight with the media so focused on the hero classes. The characters introduced include Madame Red (a crimson haired beauty with a penchant for mannerisms and is poised in all situations), Akira Arata (the head of their operations, he is a serpentine-like man with a sort of intimidating charisma), Black Echo (a dark-haired, soft-spoken, and blindfolded man), Ace (a blonde, hotblooded young man who seems to have a beef with heroes), Aura (a meticulous and curt man with a scathing wit), and Delphi (the youngest of them, she is a pale beautiful girl who seems to have no emotional reaction to anything).

Agent rankings go from A to D with S-tier being the cream of the crop.

Madame Red: Her quirk creates poison out of any bodily fluid she produces. She teaches Stealth and Espionage. She is an S-Ranked agent.

Akira Arata: His quirk allows him to freeze his adversaries with a single stare, produce venoms and paralytic substances that are delivered through a fanged bite, and shed his skin to retain a youthful appearance despite being fifty-two years old. He is the head of the agent department (or more publicly called the Special Activities Department at UA) and teaches Strategy. He is a D-Ranked agent.

Black Echo: His quirk allows him to record everything that he sees and replay it like a projector for later use. He is a retired S-Ranked agent and teaches Torture and Interrogation.

Ace: A quirkless individual. He specializes in weaponry, combat, and battle tactics. He is a D-Ranked agent. He teaches Combat.

Aura: His quirk heightens all of his senses. His name comes from how he can see the auras of individuals and lingering heat signatures even when the person is no longer there. However, he is not able to filter any of this, causing him to be very sensitive to stimuli and get migraines often. He teaches Investigation and is a D-Ranged agent.

Delphi: Her quirk allows her to create vivid dream world that she can trap anyone within visual range in. She teaches Personal Psychology and is a C-tier agent.

[The Overture: The First Movement]

This chapter introduces our main protagonists who make it into the coveted six spots in UA's new 1-L class. We learn that the students are each individually vetted and recommended by the teachers/agents themselves and are entered into the exam by invite. We learn more about their quirks as well. The exam has two parts. The first exam is a team-based exam in which each team is given an egg and must try to steal other eggs from the remaining teams. It is essentially a mission retrieval test involving fragile targets that is aimed at judging strategy, teamwork, and combat skills. The second part involves information gathering in which the groups are provided an arsenal of torture tools in order to get a password from one of the three members of the group. At the end, we are also introduced to our two TA's, Venus and Bloodhound.

Suzuno Hanamiya (Glass): A beautiful and androgynous blonde boy, he is spoiled, sheltered, arrogant, and narcissitic. Being the only child to a widowed wealthy man, he grew up wanting for nothing though he was overly protected and sheltered from the world. Because of this, he lacks social skills and can be quite demanding. His personality most often rubs people the wrong way, though he is brutally honest and is willing to tackle issues others would choose to avoid out of niceties. Despite this, Suzuno is very intelligent with a photographic memory. His quirk is a glass-based quirk and he can make various strengths of glass from the pores in his hands.

Naoya Saito (Memory): A handsome albino boy, Naoya has a clean record and an underwhelmingly average background. To most, he comes off relaxed and pleasant - charming even. Despite this, Naoya has a darker side and is willing to do immoral things to reach his goals in necessary. His ambition is to make the world a better place (especially now with the influx of villains) so that his younger brother can grow up in a better world.

Jai Watanabe (Blue Jay): A short blue-haired girl, Jai has a cybernetic quirk causing her brain and her eyes to be completely computerized. She especially caught the Agency's eyes after nearly hacking into UA's mainframe due to sheer boredom. Jai has a dry sense of humor with an even sharper wit, however, her quirk makes it difficult for her to feel and express emotions or truly empathize with others.

Akia Kiyoraka (Bubbles): A blue and pink haired bespeckled girl, Akia has always been a quiet, obedient, sheltered, and mousy girl. Often seen as a pushover or forgettable, Akia was able to catch the Agency's eye with her quick thinking and natural battle strategy skills when taking down a rogue villain at a social function. Her quirk creates soap which she can use to clean, poison, and slide through.

Aria Kazuharu (Talon): A pretty brunette, Aria has always been the top of her class in everything - no thanks to a strict upbringing and a pressure for perfection. She is well-rounded, excelling at gymnastics, music, studies, martial arts, and has mastered many languages even in her young age. The cracks in her perfect life start to show though, now that she is up against those who are effortlessly smarter, stronger, and more talented than her. Her quirk allows her to harden the keratin in her body, allowing her to have hair and nails as hard as steel.

Hiroyuki Yukimura (Yuki): A white-haired boy with a tiger-dog mutation quirk, Hiroyuki is easily one of the most mysterious of the initiates. He seems to know more about the agents and the inner workings of the agency than he lets on and seems to have his own inner demons he needs to deal with. Despite his easy-going smile and light humor, Hiroyuki is easily the most apathetic of the bunch and struggles to genuinely care about good and evil or the wellbeing of anyone except his mysterious caretaker named Chariot who we find out is high ranking in the Agency. His quirk allows him heightened smell, strength, and speed as well as night-vision and retractable claws.

Venus: A stunning and androgynous boy most initially believe is a girl with his long ashen blonde hair. Venus has a bubbly personality and has a sort of infectious charisma. Despite his bright exterior, Venus is full of self-loathing and feels he has to repay the debts from the sins of his family. His quirk is a dangerous combo of emotional empathy and emotional manipulation paired with his specialty in Stealth and Espionage. Venus is notorious for being a prodigy and even more so for being the only surviving heir of a crime family specializing in human trafficking that was destroyed by the Agency.

Nicole Stein (Bloodhound): Nicole is a beautiful blonde American girl who has only been with the Agency for six months. She is very much a mother hen and is a passionate dreamer. She has a habit of bottling up her feelings and fears that she may fall behind. This fear is only heightened when comparing herself to Venus who is heralded as a prodigy. Unlike most trainees, she has only studied under Aura who had taken her under his wing instead of joining the Academy where most agents in training go. In way, she has been sheltered because of this, though she is envied by other agents in training because she (an outsider in their eyes) has the opportunity to train with the best agents in the Agency. Nicole has her own agenda though, having come to Japan after following a crime trail of human trafficking from her hometown. She hopes to stop this at its source in Japan in order to rid her home of the heavy crime that circulates in its underbelly. Bloodhound's quirk gives her a heightened sense of smell. She can smell emotions, locations of people and objects, and pick out the scents of individual components of compounds

[Dance of the Sleeping Beauty: The Awakening to a new World]

A short and sweet chapter, it introduces our TA's officially to our new class as they participate in Madame Rouge's Stealth and Espionage class. The class is surprised to find out that their first lesson is ballet. The purpose of learning ballet is to strengthen core muscles, better balance and precision, heighten flexibility and agility, and instill discipline.

[All the World's a Stage]

Ace takes over for their Combat class. He starts them off with a basic match off with the lowest ranking student on the entrance exam facing the highest ranking. This ends up being Suzuno vs. Hiroyuki, Naoya vs. Aria, and Jai vs. Akia. The winners of this end up being Hiroyuki (because Suzuno in his arrogance underestimated him and also because Hiroyuki has the most fighting experience and brutality of the students), Aria (because Naoya underestimated her mental fortitude), and Jai (though hers and Akia's fight was the most closely matched).

While in the infirmary, class 1-L run into a few students from class 1-A (aka the hero class). There they meet Ginko, Daichi, Mirai, and Oboru who think their class (the only class in the Special Activities Department) is a fine arts department and are confused why they are so beat up. Suzuno and Daichi almost get into an altercation before Eraserhead shuts them down.

Ginko Sugiyama: A white, blue, and pink haired girl, Ginko is bubbly and friendly girl who is enthusiastic about making friends. Ginko is able to manipulate dust to move heavy objects and create weapons.

Daichi Kuroo: A dark-haired boy with an undercut, Daichi is a rebellious, cocky, hotblooded, and humorously vulgar womanizer. Using the iron stores in his body, Daichi is able to for blades at a moment's notice.

Mirai Kemuri: A dark haired girl, Mirai is a flat-faced blunt girl who is almost humorously oblivious and naive. She is able to turn her body into a black smoke.

Oboru Namikawa: A bird mutation quirk, Oboru is a headstrong and driven boy who can be a bit bratty due to his privileged upbringing and is enthusiastic about being a hero. He is an All Might die hard fan and is always looking for a spar.

[The Yellow Wallpaper Torn Down:]

Aura heads the Investigation class with Delphi as the situation simulator. The game they are to play is Murderer where one of them is secretly the murderer who is tasked in "killing him" while the others are to investigate the crime scene and determine who the culprit is. Akia is the unlucky one in this case. After several failed attempts, Akia is able to scrape by in killing Aura despite him going easy on her albeit sloppily so. As her classmates pick apart her flaws one by one, and with Suzuno being particularly nasty, Akia has a near mental breakdown with the piling stressors from her first simulated kill, self-blame for all the deaths caused during her simulation, and resultant self-doubt from the constant rush of criticism. During class, Akia's words trigger some bad memories for Aura. Encountering Ace and Venus in the staff lounge, Aura verbally lashes out at Venus, hinting that the two of them have bad blood between them.

[For Your Sake I Have Braved the Glen and had to do with Goblin Merchant Men:]

The chapter is told from Hiroyuki's perspective, shining more light on his inner thoughts that are a sharp apathetic contrast to his usually easy-going, smiling self. Black Echo takes over for Torture and Interrogation. He firsts goes over the different strategies the students used during the entrance exam and then dashes their beliefs by revealing torture is an ineffective method in retrieving information. He then reveals that he is mutilated - made sightless and limbless during his own torture - which caused his retirement from the field. Despite the severity of his wounds, he didn't reveal any information. He closes class with an anatomy lesson and some thoughts for his students to mull through. From Hiroyuki's perspective, it is revealed Black Echo used to work directly under Chariot as an S-class agent specializing in assassination. Hiroyuki's past is brought to light in flashbacks too, hinting that he was kept as a sort of loyal pet by a man named Yoshirou where he was called Byakko instead of Hiroyuki. As Byakko he was manipulated to have a sort of emotionally dependent relationship with Yoshirou and was trained to be a child soldier, which is where he gets his brutality and experience from. After class, Black Echo and Hiroyuki have a talk. Black Echo scolds him for reverting back to his old self and falling back on his old memories as Byakko. More light is shed on how Hiroyuki is now just as dependent on Chariot as he was on Yoshirou and that he was sent to UA in order to distance himself away from Chariot to learn how to be his own person. Hiroyuki is a recovering victim and is struggling to find a sense of self when he's so used to someone dictating everything in his life. It is also revealed that Ace despises Chariot for sending Black Echo on the suicide mission which caused his injuries and subsequently, he hates Hiroyuki. Hiroyuki and Bloodhound bond over cooking lunch, a shared hobby, and have a little heart to heart about being yourself.

[Kings or Pawns, Emperors or Fools:]

Akira heads Strategy and starts with a game of chess. Aria, who is unfamiliar with chess argues against the lesson, but Akira stresses that enemies they will face in the future will potentially know how to play the game of life and death better than them and they will need to be prepared regardless (all while nearly suffocating them using his quirk). The pairs are Suzuno vs. Naoya, Jai vs. Akia, and Aria vs. Hiroyuki. This chapter focuses more on Suzuno and Naoya, the two most naturally intelligent characters in the class. Suzuno is quicker than others to pick up that something is not quite right with Naoya's outward niceties and decides to play a game of Quid Pro Quo during their game of chess. More is revealed about how Suzuno and Naoya see the world and it is subsequently shown in how they play chess. Suzuno sees those of lower status as lesser beings and would willingly burn them to get what he wants, as seen in the way he carelessly disposes of his pawns. Naoya, on the other hand, is more shrewd in that he sees use in everyone, no matter how insignificant and manipulates that use to his own betterment. Suzuno ends up losing, but despite his multiple losses in the past few classes, he has a strong resolve to learn from them.

Separately, Venus conspires to have Bloodhound voted from joining him on his next mission with the excuse that she is not ready. Because of this though, Venus and Bloodhound have a falling out.

After class, Naoya encounters Black Echo and uses his quirk to delve into his memories in order to piece together answers the many questions he's had since coming to UA. A look into his memories reveal more about his history with Ace and Chariot. Black Echo and Ace met during their Academy years and started a secret relationship. Black Echo would later go on to work as a personal bodyguard and assassin for Chariot and was considered one of the best agents in the Agency. When Chariot planned to send Ace on a suicide mission in order to gather information, Black Echo took his place unbeknowst to Ace, causing him to become severely handicapped and forcing him to retire from the field. Black Echo later pieces together that something happened to him after Naoya wiped his memory of encountering him and it is hinted that the mysterious Chariot is well aware of what exactly happened.

[Burn Notice:]

The chapter is told from Aria's perspective as she slowly starts to breakdown. She is used to being the best and her identity and sense of self is built around this sort of perfection, but she is finding that she is falling behind no matter how hard she tries in the likes of her peers who don't even need to put in half the effort to be better than her. Because of this, Aria's petty side quietly rears its head. Delphi heads Personal Psychology, a class in which the purpose is to become more self-aware of your flaws and the flaws of your teammates in order to better yourself and accommodate your strengths to their weaknesses. Delphi picks them apart one by one. Akia's flaw is that she underestimates herself and has horrible self-esteem which negatively affects her performance. Delphi already seems aware of Naoya's encounter with Black Echo earlier, but does not outright comment about it. Rather, she says he needs to work on discipline and being a trustworthy teammate because he has yet to prove he can win their trust. Jai, Delphi admits, is much like her in that both of them struggle with understanding emotions and empathizing with others, which ends up being a double edged sword. Jai relies too heavily on her quirk without putting forth her own innovative thinking, which is why she falls short against the intelligence of Suzuno, Naoya, and Akia. Suzuno, unsurprisingly, has to work on his attitude and his habit of looking down on and underestimating others. Aria is made to confront her fears of inadequacy and jealousy head on when Delphi calls her out on it. After Delphi snaps at her, she says that Aria has to work on sportsmanship and her impudence. After initially writing Hiroyuki off, Delphi backtracks to grill into the tiger-dog boy. Similar to previous chapters, Delphi hammers in that he struggles to find a sense of self and direction when he's so used to others telling him what to do, how to think, and what he can and can't like. She thinks of him as a waste of time because he's only at UA because Chariot told him to go. Delphi ends it with saying that he has to want it for himself and he has yet to prove his worth when so many others are more deserving of his position. After class, the students all plan to work on their team skills by meeting up when they have free time.

We get a glimpse at Venus's mission. Masquerading as a female prostitute, Venus hangs off the arm of a man named Yozuharu - a human trafficker who secretly is more drawn to boys than girls. Yoshirou, the man Hiroyuki had been kept by, is mentioned as one of the legendary traffickers though it is implied he is no longer around. We see the lengths Venus is willing to go to in order to obtain information - so far to the point of hating his own body and lashing out violently at a drunkard on his way out.

We also get to see our first look at our main villain, Icarus, who saw Venus and Yozuharu together at the club. Icarus seems to recognize Venus and later calls for Yozuharu to see him in his private room. Revealing that he knows Venus is a spy, Icarus kills Yozuharu and has his assistant, Yoriko, dump his body outside of UA, knowing that the Agency has taken up residency there. In a way, he's letting the Agency know he knows where their new class is and that he knows that they're meddling in his business. Icarus mentions that he has plans for UA and asks if Yoriko having an estranged daughter attending UA will be a problem. Yoriko, after much thought, confirms that it would not be an issue.

[Into the Lion's Den:]

This chapter deals with the fallout following the discovery of Yozuharu's body outside of UA. The staff at UA were quick to clean up the scene and keep the situation hush hush, but now the teachers/agents for 1-L are on edge. An enemy knows where the new students are located and they know that Venus was involved. It also comes to light what exactly Venus has been doing - that is instead of going on a B-Ranked mission of scouting Yozuharu from afar, he has been gathering intel by going undercover which is considered a D-Ranked mission. Venus is very tightlipped about it and Madame Rouge, his caretaker and mentor, is devastated that he felt the need to put himself in that position. Aura who already has his doubts about Venus is verbally lashing out while the other teachers don't know what to think and where to go from here. By Chariot's orders though, they are to recruit older agents in training as TA's in order to keep Venus in check and also protect the younger students. Bloodhound later confronts Venus before they head to the Academy where the other agents in training study. It is revealed that Venus barre Bloodhound from going in order to protect her and to keep her from sullying her hands like him. They make up, but they will have to steadily rebuild their trust.

At the Academy, it is made obvious that the students there very much dislike Venus. Bloodhound was unaware of why until they have a confrontation with other students their age who begin to taunt Venus for being the sole survivor of a major crime family, the Ikeda Syndicate, and being dubbed the Agency's whore ue to the nature of his agent work. The other students also dislike Bloodhound because as a foreigner who joined only six months ago, she is already treated with favoritism and is training directly under some of the best agents in the Agency. Among this animosity Bloodhound and Venus are to pick two other students to become TA's at UA - a coveted spot. Venus immediately recruits a boy he knew from his Academy years named Ritsuo Kiyobi, a fire fox quirk user with a mischievous streak that Venus trusts. This causes the last coveted spot to be open for the power hungry students at the Academy. They decide that the final TA spot will go to whoever can defeat them in a spar. Venus shows off just why he is considered a prodigy by taking down opponent after opponent without using his quirk and Bloodhound proves that she is worthy of her position by defeating those who have had more years of experience than her. One of the last students to go is a gangly dark haired boy named Shuichi Nikaido. The other students at the Academy don't seem to like him, though the boy doesn't seem to show as much interest in them either. The teachers at the Academy don't seem to approve of him either. We find out Shuichi was heavily involved with a violent street gang called the Shibuya Devils which was headed by Shuichi's older brother. When the gang was incarcerated by the Agency, Shuichi was able to get them prison privileges by joining the Agency for his coveted skill sets and quirk. Shuichi is able to create neurotoxins from his breath that he stores in tiny jack-o-lantern containers that can either cause hallucinations in the form of one's anxieties and fears (his "Tricks") or cause feelings of euphoria (his "Treats"). Bloodhound, with her enhanced sense of smell, is quick to succumb to this, leaving Venus to fight Shuichi alone. While Shuichi's fighting style is far from refined like Venus, he also fights dirty and brutally and is quick to show that he is a master tactician. Using his cleverness, Shuichi mind games Venus, causing Venus to get a face-full of his "Trick" gas. This takes down Venus, however, Venus's quirk lashes out in panicked defence. Not having used his quirk up until this point, Shuichi and the other spectators are taken off guard and immediately brought to the ground due to the weight of Venus's quirk causing them emotional distress to the point of vomiting and passing out. Madame Rouge is quick to knock Venus out before any severe damage can be done and Shuichi is crowned the winner.

From afar behind a hallway window overlooking the training grounds, a dark-haired boy named Yagi Sotaru watches over the match. Yagi is cold and calculating, but despite his thorny attitude, he has one acquaintance that he tolerates at his side. His friend, a girl named Hana, lightly comments that they are all very strong. It is heavily implied that this Hana is the same Hana that we've seen from the UA entrance exam that Naoya brutally tortured for information. Though she was not accepted into the UA branch, it seems that she was re-routed to the Academy instead though she "mysteriously" doesn't seem to remember much about the entrance exam at all.

Yagi is called into the principal's office along with a boy named Ichiro Nakamura. We come to find out that the real brains behind the Academy is the Vice Principal, a mysterious man named Reaper, while the current principal acts as more of a feeble figurehead instated by Chariot. Yagi is also considered a prodigy for his age and has been training strenuously under Reaper for years. In exchange for the UA teachers picking out new TA's Reaper has requested that they take on Yagi as a student. Chariot has also requested they initiate Ichiro Nakamura into their class as well - a blunt, no-nonsense boy with strict loyalties to the Agency by family legacy. We also find out that Chariot, Reaper, and Akira are all well acquainted with each other as they are all roughly in their 50's and specialize in Strategy. There is some bad blood between them, particularly between Chariot and Reaper. We also find out Reaper is quirkless and trained Ace during his Academy years. Reaper, knowing that Chariot intended to send Ace on the suicide mission that ended Black Echo's career, wonders if Chariot is specifically targeting his students. Because of this, he is sending Yagi to UA so that Chariot doesn't have as much of a hold on him.

Shuichi Nikaido/ Jack O': A dark-haired, lanky young man, Shuichi is a crude and straight-forward individual with a lack of mannerisms that would appall Madame Rouge. It's easy to see that he is more thug than agent, which is precisely why he never seemed to fit in at the Academy. His criminal background further isolates him from his peers. Despite all this, Shuichi is a master strategist with a sharp wit and mind. Unlike many agents, Shuichi is one to speak his mind and not beat around the bush. Shuichi is able to create neurotoxins from his breath that he stores in tiny jack-o-lantern containers that can either cause hallucinations in the form of one's anxieties and fears (his "Tricks") or cause feelings of euphoria (his "Treats")

Ritsuo Kiyobi/ Will-O-Wisp: Ritsuo is an ethereal-looking boy with long white hair and fox-like features including a tail and ears. Ritsuo is rather mischievous in nature though he is very level-headed. Being a jester of sorts, he is quick to make a joke or play a prank. He is quite cunning and has a silver tongue to get him out of sticky situations. Despite his playful demeanor, he is a lot sharper than he lets on and specializes in trickery. His quirk allows him to create blue fireballs he is able to manipulate at will. Ritsuo is also a unconventional agent in training. While most agents come from respectable backgrounds or have family ties within the Agency, Ritsuo was recruited as a hostage of sorts. His father is a vigilante hero and raised him in a similar way. Unbeknownst to his father, Ritsuo was recruited into the Agency so that if he ever stepped out of line, they would have Ritsuo to keep him in check.

Ichiro Nakamura/Doppleganger: A serious, stoic, near-emotionless boy, Ichiro's loyalty remains solely with the Agency. Despite his cold exterior, he is very driven, can work well with others, and is willing to do anything means necessary to accomplish his mission. Ichiro has always been a part of the Agency as both of his parents are strong agents as well. His quirk allows him to manipulate and absorb biomass to aid in healing/regenerating, mimic others' appearances, and create weapons and armor from his own biomass.

Yagi Sotaru/Ghost: Yagi is considered a young prodigy, though he lives in Venus's shadow always being just a step behind Venus's own accomplishments. Yagi is cold and calculating in nature and a bit prideful as well. He can be a touch arrogant, but in a way that he tends to bite off more than he can chew and is so used to working alone rather than having to count on others. Yagi is very much a solitary character and this further distances himself from the other students in class 1-L. His quirk allows him to take on a ghostly form, giving him the ability to phase in and out of solid objects, possess people, and travel unseen though his quirk has a limit. He, being trained by Reaper, is also very proficient in hand to hand combat and strategy.

After returning, Venus and Madame Rouge have a heart to heart. In many ways, she thinks of him as her own child and it breaks her heart seeing him going down the same path she did. Venus reveals that it was through his intel gathering though that he knows that the human trafficking underbelly is planning to target UA and what better way to scout out potential victims than to see them use their quirks in the Sports Festival.

[THIS IS WHERE THE ROUGH OUTLINE FOR THE REST OF THE STORY STARTS]

While everyone was at the Academy selecting the new students at TA's, class 1-L is to train with class 1-A for a day with Eraserhead's students. In a sadist-type move, Eraserhead pits all of 1-A against 1-L. Class 1-L are almost embarrassingly taken down as they squabble amongst themselves and are unable to work together to stay afloat. The lesson Eraserhead imparts on them is that they would never make it if they cannot work together or trust and respect one another. In this case, there are too many people trying to take the reigns and they're all too stubborn to listen to each other. It's after class that the students sit down at a cafe to learn more about each other and try to reach some semblance of an understanding. While the foundations are still a bit rocky, a sort of truce is reached among them.

A flustered Suzuno asks to join Venus, Bloodhound, and Aria in their early morning ballet warm ups.

Yagi and Ichiro are introduced to the class and, as these kids already have years of training under their belts, the rest of class 1-L find that they need to step up their game or risk being left behind in the dust. Poking around to see how much the students actually know, Yagi finds out that they believe they are a typical agent class. Yagi incredulously corrects them, stating that the reason why they are given high profile teachers and state of the art resources is because their class is known to be the "Black Ops" class by the rest of the Agency. They are being trained specifically to become S-Ranked agents which is why their positions are so coveted by those at the Academy.

Yagi initially makes the mistake of thinking of class 1-L as more of civilians rather than agents in training and finds himself surprised by just how powerful they can be once they're going all out. Despite Yagi's strength that has earned him the title of a prodigy, he finds himself being challenged in ways he never has been before - being duped and mentally blocked by Naoya during a spar and being physically challenged by Hiroyuki's deadly combat maneuvers. While Ichiro is able to meld into the group's dynamic, Yagi is finding himself once again the outsider.

Meanwhile, the TA's begin their training as well and find out more about each other. Despite the differences in personality, the four of them bond over being Agency misfits (two of them having criminal backgrounds, one having a vigilante background, and one being a foreign outsider).

[Some of the class curriculum includes:]

Stealth and Espionage:

Dance of the Red Death - Madame Red teaches them ballroom dancing complete with formal attire so they can get used to maneuvering in this type of clothing and shoes. The game is Dance of the Red Death where there are three red tags scattered among the eight of them and the goal is to stealthy pass on the tag as they switch dance partners. The ones who are tagged at the end are the losers.

Poisons and unconventional weapons - Learning about different poisons and choosing which one would be best given a situation. Also choosing accessories that can be used as weapons (sharp hair pins, garotte wire watches, hidden blades, poisoned rings, stockings to strangle, etc) and avoiding accessories that could be used against you (necklaces for choking, earrings to rip out, ties, capes, etc.)

Method acting - Given a hypothetical identity and personality that they have to adopt for the day. Some are better than others and scarily so. Aria and Naoya have a knack for it and Ichiro can physically look the part while the others struggle comically.

Combat:

Weaponry - Ace brings in a child prodigy whose sole job is to create gadgets and weaponry for the Agency. Ace equips all of them with weapons and begins to teach them how to shoot guns and throw knives. It is during this lesson that we find out Hiroyuki is afraid of guns.

Speed driving - Ace teaches them all how to drive including the TA's sans Venus who already has had this lesson. Unsurprisingly, Bloodhound is the only one who has her license and Shuichi is the only one who has had experience with high speed driving. Using Delphi's Dreamworld quirk, Ace teaches them how to high speed drive all while keeping a kill count during all their car accidents.

Formal wear conditioning - Paired with Madame Red, Ace forces them to do their conditioning in formal wear including heels for the ladies.

Strategy:

Capture the flag

Mock team battles

Simulated missions pitted against one another

Torture and Interrogation:

Literal and metaphorical pressure points

Which organs to strike for instant kills or to cause pain

Charming for information - a la Madame Red and Venus

Interrogating during capture - a reference to Black Echo's own suicide mission to retrieve intel during capture

[SPORTS FESTIVAL ARC]

To the public, class 1-L is part of the Special Activities Department - supposedly a fine arts and quirk honing department for future careers. Likewise, class 1-L cannot draw too much attention to themselves during the Sports Festival as to not garner suspicion. It's helpful that most of the attention will be on class famous 3-A (the canon class), but it doesn't mean they can lower their guard. However, they must show off their teamwork, critical thinking, and abilities enough to catch the Agency's eye. Similar to the hero class, agents will be scattered throughout the arena watching to see if they are worth taking on as an intern.

Behind the scenes, the teacher agents and TA's are aware that human traffickers and their affiliates are also scattered throughout the audience, watching the students closely to see who they would want to abduct. Because of this, working with the heroes, the Agency has upped the security for UA.

The Sports Festival is traditionally broken into three segments. The first test is a maze. Working together and using their minds, they are able to make it out fairly quickly, beating out most of the hero class, which causes them to need to back peddle. The second test is a four-man team game of capture the flag. Having had a lot of practice in this from their Strategy lessons but also not wanting to stand out, the split class 1-L plan to work together to boost one of their two teams up to the top while the other team is sacrificed. The four people that go on to the tournament are Suzuno, Jai, Akia, and Aria as Yagi, Ichiro, Naoya, and Hiroyuki either lack in combat or are too noticeably proficient at combat to stay under the radar. It's surprising enough that four out of sixteen finalist are from class 1-L but it's even more surprising how the tournament turns out. Jai, showing off her skills but ultimately throwing the match to not draw attention to herself places 14th. Akia and Aria place 13th and 12th respectively. Suzuno, ignoring the order to lay low, wants to prove that he is the best and that he could've made it as a hero if he had tried. Much to the teacher's chagrin (though Ace is secretly elated) Suzuno places third, only after accidentally stepping out of bounds during his fight with Daichi. The last match is Oboru vs. Daichi in which, Oboru wins, crowning him the winner.

Though they are congratulated, Suzuno gets a firm reprimand for his impulsive and reckless behavior.

[INTERNSHIP ARC]

After the Sports Festival, the students are recruited by current agents to shadow them on a mission. These internships would be split up into separate chapters.

Akia: Akia would be scouted by an agent specializing in investigation. The person they are trying to hunt down is a serial killer targeting pretty girls with clean records with no enemies. The bodies are always spotless, showing no sign of struggle or trauma and are dressed and posed in a way that would almost seem reverent but also staged to be found. Akia puts together a criminal profile of the hypothetical killer - a narcissistic man, perhaps wanting to preserve the purity of the girls in reference to an old lover in his past - only to find out she is completely wrong when she brushes with the killer. The killer is a docile and charming young woman who owns a boutique and kills girls that she grows fond of who visit her shop. Having faced severe trauma in her own past, the killer doesn't believe the world is deserving of these girls and believes she is saving them from facing a fate similar to her own. Akia finds herself with more to chew on because she somehow finds herself empathizing with the serial killer.

Aria: Aria is recruited to work with a sleeper agent who owns a brothel in the Red Light District. The woman is Madame Scarlet, who reveals that she and Madame Rouge obtained their namesake by being one of the few survivors of one of the Agency's retired training programs, "The Red Initiative." The Red Initiative was started when All Might made his first debut as a hero, which forced villains into the seedy Underworld and an influx in underbelly crime. Madame Scarlet also reveals that she doesn't believe Aria is too young to be there because Venus was younger when he did his internship with her - which gives Aria more insight on how dark a Stealth and Espionage specialty can be. Aria acts as a serving girl there but gets to see first hand how Madame Scarlet and her girls abstract information from their clientele. Aria is propositioned by a patron that Madame Scarlet can't turn down. Deciding to turn the situation in their favor, Madame Scarlet decides to roll with it much to Aria's silent protests. Alone, Aria is able to gain some information about the human trafficking issue before causing the man to accidentally overdose and needing to rush him to the hospital as a coverup. Despite escaping unscathed, Aria is still a bit shaken by the encounter and questions if Stealth and Espionage is the place for her. Madame Scarlet wanted her in particular so that Aria may know this before deciding her future.

Jai: Jai is taken in by a man named Mr. Sum from the Finance Division of all places. He is seemingly a carefree man, though money and budgeting is always on his mind - even going so far as to say that he is on this particular case because there's not enough of the Agency's budget put into cults. Mr. Sum takes Jai into the depths of the countryside into the secluded mountains. There, they take on false identities of father and daughter looking to join a cult living off the land in the mountains that is against quirks. Claiming that his wife had recently died during a villain attack in the city and that he quit his job to move out there, Mr. Sum and Jai are warmly embraced by the cult. The cult leader is a warm and charismatic man who, despite welcoming them without question, comments that Jai is unfortunately cursed due to her odd blue hair and cybernetic markings and eyes. As an initiation, Jai is forced to shave her head of her electric blue hair. It is then that she begins to notice that all the mutation quirk users in the cult are somewhat mutilated to look "normal." Horns are closely shaven off, growths have been amputated and sewn, and even more alarmingly, a few girls, who have been treated like lepers in the cult, have limbs cut off to stop their quirks. Despite all this, everyone there seems to be living in a false sense of euphoria and joy. The cult lives off the land and Jai quickly finds out women are seen as second class citizens. She befriends some of the girls there to find out that if anyone is found using their quirks, they are immediately stopped by amputating the source of their quirk, though they are especially severe with girls. The cult believes quirks arise from sin and that it is not how their god intended humans to be. They know because the leader is their prophet who speaks directly to their god. One of the girls that Jai befriends is caught one night singing by the creek which is her quirk that attracts animals to her. The girl is brought kicking and screaming to the bonfire where the leader proclaims that their god has willed it that they must cut out her tongue. Jai, who has always struggled to feel emotion, watches in horror as the girl is held down as her tongue is removed with a hot blade. Snapping out of her shock, Jai goes to protect her by attacking the leader. Being subdued by the other members, the leader calls to have Jai's eyes gouged out. Mr. Sum steps in then, revealing to the cult that he is with the Authorities and is shutting down the cult. He also mentions that Jai is too expensive of an investment to throw away. The cult believes they will be arrested and retaliates, but Mr. Sum has different plans, shooting the leader and chopping off everyone's heads with his garotte wire quirk. To him, he was sent there to reduce costs and imprisoning people costs money. Better to save by killing them outright. The girl, having been on the floor and subsequently avoided decapitation, is the only one left. Mr. Sum hands Jai the gun telling her she has to end it as her final task. It costs money to keep her alive and to reintegrate her into society, not to mention the health and mental health costs. Seeing the girl no longer willing to fight for life and the plead for death in her eyes, Jai shoots her, coming to terms that there are worse fates than death.

Suzuno: Suzuno is taken in to be a bodyguard for a seven year old child being kept under tight lock and key by the Agency. Suzuno is at first peeved that he is nothing more than a glorified babysitter as the boy insists that Suzuno have tea with him in a sort of tea party. The boy, serving Suzuno's favorite tea, reveals that his quirk allows him to see past, present, and future which is why powerful people are constantly after him. He himself requested Suzuno after watching the UA Sports Festival because Suzuno reminded him of his own older brother he hasn't seen in years due to being seized by the Agency. The boy tells Suzuno that he will have to face some harsh realities soon and that in the end, everything will fall into place and be alright despite how hopeless it may seem. He touches Suzuno's cheek, smiling sadly saying that he unfortunately won't be there to wipe Suzuno's tears when he will cry. That night, an attack on the compound is launched. With the men outnumbered, Suzuno is tasked with protecting the boy. Suzuno is run ragged as he is baraged with incoming forces. With the overuse of his quirk, the pores in his hands clog up, not allowing him to create enough glass to act as a barrier between the boy and a stray bullet. The boy simply watches though as he knows this is the bullet that will ultimately end his life. Suzuno, having never seen someone killed and never having experienced loss, mourns for the first time and cries but like the boy said, he is no longer there to wipe those tears.

Hiroyuki: Hiroyuki is taken in by a recon task force. The task that they are doing is retrieving or killing a captured agent who may be an intel liability from the criminal underbelly. It is during this sting operation that Hiroyuki encounters one of Yoshirou's old "pets." This pet is a snake mutation girl who now works as a bodyguard for the organization they are infiltrating since Yoshirou's empire fell years ago. Hiroyuki, who she calls Byakko which is the name Yoshirou gave him, was known as Yoshirou's favorite pet, a fact that most of his pets hated. Hiroyuki finds himself fighting her, reverting to his old brutal fighting style to match her. In the end, he knows it's killed or be killed and ends up ripping out her throat. Once he meets up with the other agents, he finds out they already completed the mission, having put a bullet through the captured agent's head. Hiroyuki contemplates how natural it felt to fall into his old habits and wonders how different his life would have been like had Yoshirou not had been killed.

Yagi: Yagi is taken in by a sleeper agent who is under the guise of a normal high schooler. Yagi is there masquerading as the kid's "cousin" who is visiting as he follows the agent throughout his school day and club activities. He sits through math lessons that are far too easy for him, helps plan activities for their cultural festival coming up, talks with other kids about pro heroes and celebrities, sings in their choir, plays basketball during gym, and has lunch with the agent and his friends. At the end of the day, Yagi is frustrated, feeling as though he has wasted his time. The agent is quick to correct him though, saying the hardest part about being an agent is the waiting. He reveals that he isn't sixteen like he proclaims. He's actually sixty-two and his quirk makes him stay the same age forever. He has watched his friends and lovers move on, watched his family age without him, watched people he loves die one after another. Despite being surrounded by friends, it is a lonely existence. He then reveals that Reaper requested that he take Yagi in so that Yagi can have a taste of what it feels to be "normal" for just one day since he was robbed of that growing up.

Ichiro: Ichiro is taken in by his parents who are also agents in the field. Their mission is a simple one: infiltrate a fancy party as a well to do family and poison the host just enough that they are unable to fulfil a deal that is to be made that evening with a crime syndicate. Having grown closer to class 1-L despite their odds and differences and becoming somewhat of a family unit, he feels so disjointed working with his actual family - finally coming to realize exactly how cold and distant they are to each other and that they never were a true family. The mission goes down smoothly, but Ichiro briefly makes contact with our main villain, Icarus, who seems to know exactly who he is and leaves him with a warning before a mass shooting takes place at the party, killing the host

Naoya: Naoya is taken in by a quiet agent who tells him they are to go on an assassination mission to kill off a rogue agent. Naoya knows something is off when it is all too easy for the agent to find the traitor. His mentor asks the woman why she betrayed the Agency and she can't seem to come up with a good answer because she doesn't really understand it herself. She has simply flown too close to the sun. Nonetheless, she seems to have come to terms that she is facing death and gives the man a final "I love you" before he shoots her. The agent reveals that she was his wife and had recently betrayed the Agency by revealing details about the UA branch. The lesson he imparts is that as an agent, you may have to sacrifice things you never intended to put on the line. Going back to the Agency Headquarters, the agent brings him to a set of doors before giving him a pitying look. Naoya enters and meets Chariot for the first time. Beside him are his six teachers, their expressions ranging from neutral to displeased to pitying. Chariot introduces himself as the mind behind the Agency. He sees that everything is in order and that everything runs as it should. He is the one to weed out traitors like the one that was just killed tonight and Chariot reveals that he knows what Naoya did to Black Echo. Chariot's quirk allows him to see every place at any time if he's physically been there before and thus can see everything going on at UA.

The room warps courtesy of Delphi and on the other side of the room, Naoya's little brother whom he swore to protect is tied to a chair and gagged. Chariot goes on to say that as an agent, they will have to go through with things they don't want to do, but they must for the greater good. Rogue agents are a danger to the organization and must be ended immediately. He questions if Naoya has it in him to choose the Agency over his brother and hands him a gun. Chariot then orders him to shoot his brother. Naoya, knowing any wrong move could be the end of him, turns to his brother. Convinced it is one of Delphi's illusions, he shoots without hesitation only to be stopped as Ace crashes into him to deflect the bullet elsewhere. His younger brother is in hysterics now and only then does it really sink in that Naoya was played and that this is really his brother in front of him. It was really his brother that he almost killed. Naoya frantically unties him and shows a brief lapse in his emotions as he desperately holds his brother to him uncaring of the people in the room. Chariot orders Naoya to wipe his brother's memory and send him home before exiting the office. Naoya repeated apologizes profusely begging for forgiveness before erasing his brother's memory of the event out of mercy and Akira takes him to return him home. Naoya is left with the remaining teachers and is blank faced now, left somewhere between furious and guilty. The teachers express that they did not agree with Chariot's methods, but they were effective nonetheless. Chariot wanted to make a point and it hit close enough to home that it shook Naoya in the way that he wanted it to. It was less of a punishment and more of a warning not to step out of line because now, the Agency knew Naoya's weakness and they were willing to use it to keep him in line if need be. The Agency is far bigger than himself.

The TA's all the while are given a vacation. They are staying at a rented beachside cabin on an island and spend their days swimming, fishing, and having the rare chance just to be teens. It is during this time though that they learn more about each others' pasts and motivations. Ritsuo speaks more about his family and their vigilante work, Shuichi reveals more about his life in a street gang and how different life was then, Venus reveals more about the Ikeda Syndicate and how his whole family was slaughtered with him being the only one spared and forced to join the Agency, and Bloodhound talks more about her life back in the States and the recent issue with human trafficking in her hometown which brought her to Japan. They all agree that they really are Agency misfits, but they seem to bond over that fact.

They come back refreshed and well bonded only to find the rest of the students in a weird gloom, though all of them are pretty tightlipped about how traumatic their internships were.

[JAIL BREAK ARC]

Thanks to the help of Icarus, the Shibuya Devils, are broken out of prison. In their first big mission, the TA's are tasked with helping track down and apprehending the escapees. Knowing Shuichi's relations to that gang, the rest of the team questions if he will be okay doing this mission. Shuichi reveals nothing, but goes forth with the mission. They come to one of the gang's old hideouts that Shuichi leads them to and get into an altercation with the street gang. Decked in agent clothing, Shuichi's brother, Nanashi, doesn't realize at first it's Shuichi fighting against them. While the other agents and TA's try to capture and subdue the gang members, Shuichi goes after his brother. Though the risk of the two of them escaping together is there, the rest of the TA's let him go when Shuichi insists he needs to do this alone. Now alone on the roof, the two of them fight. Nana is surprised to find that the agent he is fighting is aware of his fighting style and knows to avoid his quirk that can cut through flesh and muscle easily. After using his jack-o-lanterns, Nana quickly realizes who exactly he is fighting. Shuichi takes off his mask to reveal himself and Nana is infuriated. He's mad thinking that Shuichi betrayed the gang who treated him like family, that Shuichi is working with the Authorities now, and he's mad because he also believed Shuichi dead after the gang was imprisoned. During their fight, Shuichi reveals that he made a deal with the Agency to allow them more prison rights and comforts by joining them, which would explain how easy it was to break them out. Shuichi also reveals a conversation Chariot had with him before the mission. Nana had a girlfriend who had managed to escape arrest who is now living a quiet life as a librarian in a small town. The Agency knows about her and was willing to use her as leverage if Shuichi wasn't able to capture Nana. Nana, knowing this now, willingly gives up. As he's being arrested, Nana wishes him well and the two promise that one day they will meet again as free men.

Behind the scenes, the older agents discuss how the break out for the Shibuya Devils was ultimately a diversion from a maximum prison escapee the same night - Yoshirou, the infamous human trafficker who groomed Hiroyuki as a child. Hiroyuki all the while has believed him dead courtesy of Chariot.

A different scene shows Icarus welcoming Yoshirou back into the game and Yoshirou acknowledging Icarus as the remaining heir of the Ikeda Syndicate, making Icarus Venus's older brother who was presumed dead. This also sheds some light on why Icarus was so mad with Yozuharu's treatment of Venus in an earlier chapter.

[DEATH ROW ARC]

Summer rolls around and similar to how the heroes go to summer training camp and will need to get their provision licenses, class 1-L is sent to the Academy to test for their provisional licenses. The other TA's are brought along too and are immediately wary. All of them sans Bloodhound and Shuichi warn the students that they will need to be on their guard the moment they step into the Academy. The class is quick to discover that the provisional license exam starts the second they step foot on the property. The licensing process takes one week and during the trials, all is fair in love and war. Outright deadly attacks and sabotage are allowed during this one week, giving the provisional license exam time the nickname "Dead Week" or "Death Row." Those who have their license (Venus, Ritsuo, Ichiro, and Yagi) are free of the torment for the week but they are also barred from interfering, leaving them as mere spectators during the week. Being the coveted UA class, they already have a target on their backs.

The class plus Bloodhound and Shuichi stick closely together but they are constantly on the defense from other students looking to gain a leg up on them. The first exam starts and it is a paintball melee - a mock mass shootout. Teams among the Academy students naturally form to boost their individual scores, but our UA class has the advantage of an already established team dynamic. The UA class with their strategy and high score move on to the next exam held in two days.

Meanwhile the students are to train with the Academy students and it's made clear that they are not welcome by most. During lunch, a group of students brush by their table and in the process, a girl with a cutting quirk hacks off Aria's hair at the nape and severs Hiroyuki's tail and a boy with a melting quirk liquifies Suzuno's fork causing severe burns to his right palm and inflaming the pores that produce his glass. Aria is limited to her short hair now, Hiroyuki's center of balance is completely thrown off, and Suzuno can only use one hand for his quirk for now.

Later the group, accompanied by those who already have their license, is approached by Hana so she can talk to Yagi. It is then that she takes note of Naoya and wonders why he seems so familiar.

With three members of their team injured or hindered, the group go into the second test. The remaining students are brought to an ominous estate and are told that they are to survive the night without stepping off the property. Not only do our class have to avoid the traps, poisons during dinner, and the carbon monoxide leak, but they also have to try to avoid the other students actively trying to hunt them down. Not to mention, someone slipped Jai a virus and she is pretty much incompacitated during all this. In the end, Shuichi ends up gassing half of them and, after a separate gas explosion that blows up half the estate, Suzuno turns the remainder of the house into a mirror maze. Their group is the first to come out at day break, earning them the top scores once again.

The next and last exam is in two days and Yagi takes this time to speak to Reaper, his mentor and the vice principal. Reaper reveals that he thinks something is brewing in the underworld and that it's a ticking time bomb they just have to wait for to go off at this point. He asks how Yagi is liking it at UA and after much contemplation, Yagi admits it was not what he expected but he finds himself pleasantly surprised by the experience. Yagi later spends some time with Hana who has also advanced to the third exam. Yagi has always been cold and distant but he notes that Hana is always willing to meet him where he's at. Reaper originally had them train together to improve her combat skills and to help Yagi acclimate to pain due to her quirk. Because of this, Yagi, who had always been a loner, had at least one person by his side. Before parting ways, Hana shares her concern that something is off about Naoya but she can't quite pinpoint what.

The third exam is a melee taking place in an abandoned building. The class sets up shop in a large banquet hall, waiting for others to come to them knowing that they are targets. As expected, multiple groups have banded together in order to take them down. They step into the dark room, surrounding our class only to realize at the last second the lights aren't off. Naoya's black smoky quirk falls from the ceiling and encases everyone. Their enemies are left as sniveling husks in a matter of minutes. Only a handful of other students remain and after seeing what Naoya has done, Hana's memory is triggered.

Furious, Hana fights Naoya with her painful to the touch quirk. He's quick to realize that her combat skills have immensely improved and she is a short-range brawler now. With the others ganging up on her though, she is subdued and taken out.

Once again our UA class comes out on top and earn their licenses. The body count at the end of Death Row is fifteen this year.

In a separate scene between Reaper and Akira, the two strategists talk after Reaper congratulates him on his students' success. Reaper reminisces on his own license exam and how him and Chariot were the only survivors. Akira can't share the same sentiments as he used to be a hero - a UA graduate himself - when he was younger, before becoming an agent. We learn that Akira Arata does not go by a codename because he has nothing to left to lose. A former hero by the name Serpent, Akira's wife and child were killed by a villain seeking revenge. Akira retired from hero work and began working for the Agency instead.

[SUMMERTIME MADNESS ARC]

The students are given a much needed reprieve and are allowed to go home to their families though they are to keep the details of their schooling hush hush.

Aria returns home and is immediately reminded how controlling her mother was in her childhood. She finds herself for the first time rebelling against her mother. One night after a nasty argument, Ginko from class 1-A messages her to see if she wants to hang out with her, Mirai, Daichi, and Oburo since they also just got out of their summer camp training. Aria sneaks out and meets up with them. The five teens sneak into a club and have the time of their lives. Half-drunk, the suddenly grow stone-cold sober as they stumble upon a slave auctioning. First is a girl who is screaming in frantic American English and is obviously not from around here. The next, much to their horror, the students recognize as a classmate of theirs who never made it to the summer camp. The auctioneers proudly claim that this girl is a UA student and has been broken in by Yoshirou himself. The girl is obedient and doesn't fight back as she is auctioned and sold. The five of them make a plan to save the girl. With Aria's guidance, the five of them are able to rescue the girl but the auction house recognizes them as other UA students and know that they will tell the authorities. They are barely able to make it out and are able to make it back to UA to get help. It is revealed that UA and the Agency already has their suspicions and that the man that bought her was actually an agent undercover. While they meant well, their interference has brought more unwanted attention to UA. They are still trying to figure out how they are able to kidnap the students since the girl vanished without a trace and never seemed to leave her room. The five of them are told to forget about it, but they are all reluctant to do so.

Against her better judgment, Aria meets up with her classmates and Bloodhound to tell them what happened. Hiroyuki immediately recognizes Yoshirou's name and pales, realizing Chariot lied to him about his previous owner's death. Bloodhound is also invested as there's a lead into the Americans being trafficked overseas.

Hiroyuki confronts Chariot about Yoshirou and Chariot knows Aria was the one to tell him. Chariot explains it was never to hurt him, but he makes a point that Hiroyuki would have never been able to move on if he knew Yoshirou was alive. Hiroyuki concedes that this is true but is not happy all the same. For the first time, Hiroyuki realizes that he's truly upset with someone he's been so dependent on.

[CULTURAL FESTIVAL ARC]

Classes begin again but it's easy to see that everyone is distracted by what's going on. Security at UA is tighter than ever now that they know UA students are being targeted.

Fall classes start again and the class has to prepare for the cultural festival. To their dismay, since everyone else believes they are a fine arts department, they have to act as such. It is decided that they must put on a play and Madame Rouge decides to challenge them by randomizing the casting. They decide to go with the most stereotypical play to lay it on thick, Romeo and Juliet. As it turns out, Naoya gets the part of Romeo and Suzuno is Juliet, much to the blonde boy's fury.

The play that they scrounge up in a week's notice ends up being a hit, though Suzuno is nearly about to murder Daichi who keeps on reading him for wearing a dress. The mission is accomplished though and no one suspects a thing in regards to 1-L.

[THE LAST ACT ARC]

More class 1-A disappearances occur at their homes and now the media has caught wind of this. Even Ginko has disappeared as well. The media and public are in an uproar and the heroes are trying to do damage control. The Agency all the while is wondering if there's a mole either among the heroes or among the UA agents.

In a separate scene, Mirai wakes up in the middle of the night, gets out of bed, and walks out of UA. The agents and heroes watching have not seen her leave the grounds despite her using the front entrance in front of them.

Icarus hands over a now struggling Mirai to Yoshirou to train. After he and his men leave with Mirai in tow, Icarus turns to plant a kiss on Delphi's temple.

It is revealed that after graduating the Academy, Delphi's quirk evolved allowing her to affect people with her quirk even out of visual range, a fact she never told anyone. She was later approached by Icarus before his underworld reign really took off. Having no emotions or ability to empathize, she grew addicted to Icarus's presence because with him, she was finally able to feel for the first time. He manipulated her emotions so that she would love him and thus be loyal to only him and Delphi was so desperate to feel anything that she stayed unconditionally.

Now, it's Delphi who has been kidnapping the students under Icarus's orders.

It is also implied that Delphi is in her early stages of pregnancy, and knowing this, she knows that both her and her child will be targeted if the truth comes out because both Icarus and her together can create a dangerous quirk. Icarus assures her that once he gets his brother back, they can be a family once more.

Madame Rouge is sent on a mission to infiltrate a criminal group rumored to be the Ikeda Syndicate rising once more. Here, Madame Rouge comes across Icarus and instantly recognizes him from the night she helped take down the Ikeda family. It is revealed that Icarus and Venus's father was gunned down and their estate burned to the ground. Their mother, a pretty but unwilling victim herself, was dragged out by her hair still clutching Venus to her before he was ripped from her arms and she was shot. Icarus was announced dead at this point but he had manipulated an agent to do so before escaping. Venus was supposed to die, but he ran to who he could tell was the most vulnerable person (that being Madame Rouge) and clung to her, emotionally manipulating her to love and protect him. Madame Rouge who has always wanted a child of her own did just that. Chariot allowed it on the condition that Venus join the Agency to keep a tighter leash on him.

Icarus thanks her for taking care of his brother but ends up killing her and dumping her body in the river.

Class goes on per usual the next day but Madame Rouge and Venus are noticeably gone. The teachers are acting weird too. It's then that Jai, who has always never shown emotions, uncharacteristically snaps. She demands to know when they were going to tell them if at all that Madame Rouge was dead. She was their teacher, one they were all close to, and they deserved to know too. They deserved to mourn as well. Jai had seen the news article, though it was short and buried under others, of an unidentified crimson haired woman found dead in the river last night. The circumstances of her death are classified. She knew the risks when she joined the Agency. Her body went unclaimed and would be burned today. Silent.

Venus all the while stands alone at her cremation. She is a nameless death. No one will know her real name, who she was, and what she did for her people. As is the fate of all agents, she disappeared silently from this world.

Knowing Madame Rouge, Yoshirou, Mirai, and Ginko are involved, Aria, Hiroyuki, Venus, and Bloodhound plan to investigate more. Much to their surprise, the rest of class 1-L and the TA's join them. They sneak out of UA to investigate. Their first lead is the auction house Aria went to. Hiroyuki recognizes the place and leads them to the fighting pits. There, they find Mirai fighting a rabid mutation quirk in a cage match. Hiroyuki enters the cage match, knowing the news of his appearance will get back to Yoshirou, and causes enough of a distraction for them to rescue Mirai. What they weren't prepared for was for Yoshirou to be there.

It's revealed that shortly after the take down of the Ikeda Syndicate, Yoshirou, who was heavily involved with the crime family, was also arrested and his compound sacked. Yoshirou's pets who weren't able to escape were to die by Chariot's order. In this case, Hiroyuki was the only one spared and taken in by Chariot.

Hiroyuki is warmly greeted by Yoshirou and, taking Yoshirou's hand, willingly goes with the man. Separately, Venus, while snooping around, runs into Icarus who knocks him out and takes him away. Knowing they will have a hard time explaining this, the students head back to UA only to be confronted by the teachers and Chariot. They are then placed under house arrest until further notice.

Daichi and Oboru go missing this night.

Aura is suspected of being the mole due to his many reasons for not liking the Agency and being one of the few who knew of Madame Rouge's mission as it is found that someone had informed their enemies she was coming. It is revealed that the reason Aura hates Venus so much is because Aura and his younger brother Yuki (not Hiroyuki btw) were abducted by the Ikeda Syndicate when they were children and trained ruthlessly by Yoshirou to be loyal pets and soldiers. Aura was able to escape as a teenager but he had to leave his brother behind in the process. Aura joined the Agency with the goal of rescuing his brother one day. He helped formulate the plans to take the Ikeda Syndicate down and infiltrate them. However, once the operation happened and both the Ikedas and Yoshirou were taken down, Chariot ordered for all of Yoshirou's victims to be gunned down. Yuki had been completely brainwashed by this time and fought ruthlessly, killing several agents in the process. Aura was the only one to somewhat subdue him and on Chariot's order, he was to shoot his brother (somewhat of a deja vu to Naoya's internship). When he hesitated, Chariot shot Yuki instead. The reason why Aura hates Venus and Hiroyuki so much is because they were the exceptions. They were spared when his brother was not, which is why he has bad blood with the Agency.

After Aura is imprisoned, the students sulk together about what to do. Aria, Akia, Naoya, Yagi, and Ichiro argue that they should let the agents handle this. Suzuno, Jai, Bloodhound, and Shuichi think they should dig further. As they leave the common room, they pass by Delphi in the hall. Bloodhound stops, sniffing curiously before freezing. She confronts Delphi about her pregnancy and that the child smells similar to Venus. The others are at first perplexed but Delphi, alarmed because she knows Chariot can see everything, attacks them before attempting to escape.

She runs into Black Echo and Ace and fights them in the courtyard. Meanwhile the others watch while Bloodhound and Yagi go to find Akira. Ichiro gets a call from Chariot with orders to stand down while their teachers sort it out and to give them orders to kill Delphi on site. Though they are out of visual range, Delphi's quirk affects all of them due to her secret quirk evolution. Despite being blind, Black Echo is a formidable and deadly fighter, and reminds them all just why he was an assassination specialist. He gets close to stabbing her in the stomach, but instead of targeting him, she targets Ace, near-fatally wounding him. It is just before Akira can step into the Dreamworld that Delphi quickly flees knowing she won't be able to go against the former pro-hero. She is able to escape, but not before losing the lower half of her arm from Akira's attack.

The students and the agents discuss what happened. The students are confused and at first think Delphi was carrying Venus's child (even though it was too bizarre to believe). Chariot arrives and informs them though that the Agency has identified the new crime lord as Icarus - the true heir to the Ikeda Syndicate and Venus's older brother, who they believe kidnapped Venus. They believe Delphi was a spy and has been using her quirk to mask her disappearances and to kidnap the 1-A students. Likewise, she has been working with Icarus and is potentially carrying his child. Because of this, the next heir could have an even deadlier combination of their quirks, which puts both Delphi and her child on an instant kill list.

Classes are put on an indefinite hold as Black Echo, Ace, and Akira are called back to the Agency and the students are still left under house arrest by the heroes. Knowing they are still being monitored, they discuss over secret hidden messages and codes about how to respond to the situation. Yagi and Naoya are still adamant that they shouldn't do anything while the others are now thinking they should or else they will be left in the dark altogether. In the end, Yagi and Naoya go with them if only to make sure they get out alive.

Going back to the auction house, the crew follow one of Yoshirou's "pets" and his men back to Yoshirou's new compound. Yoshirou's men are in too much of a hurry to even notice the cars behind them tailing them. At the compound, the students are surprised to find the compound in an uproar. Thanks to Bloodhound, they are able to find the missing students and steal them away back to the cars. Naoya and Aria go on ahead and drive them to safety while the others stay to look for Hiroyuki. They find out just why the compound is in literal flames. Hiroyuki has fought off all of Yoshirou's pets and men and they come in just in time to see him shoot the man once and for all. Knowing that this act was hard and traumatizing for Hiroyuki, the others quickly and quietly spirit him away. Hiroyuki reveals that he never had any intentions of staying with Yoshirou and that he went with him so he could get close to him again and kill him for good. Not because it's what Chariot would have wanted, but because he needed to to gain closure for himself. He has finally come to terms that he was a child victim and that Yoshirou never truly loved him.

Knowing that they can't go back to UA now, the students hide out with Shuichi's brother's old girlfriend who had avoided capture by the police when the gang was first rounded up. The two have a heart to heart about everything that has happened, how the gang is doing, what happened during the prison break, and what he's doing now to keep them comfortable. Shuichi admits that he used to have a crush on her growing up and in some ways he still does, but he knows that it never would've worked out.

Using Bloodhound's keen sense of smell, the students go undercover into the Red Light district to track down Venus. They follow a man who smells similar to Venus only to realize that he looks very much like Venus and is the man named Icarus - the leader of the crime syndicate that killed Madame Rouge. Suzuno, Aria, and Bloodhound are captured by Icarus and his men while the rest watch from afar. The three captured students are brought to the new Ikeda estate where Venus is being kept and Delphi is having her wounds treated. Venus is unhappy to be there but is reluctantly glad his brother is still alive. He is more or less mad also that Delphi was the mole and that she has been for years. With his brother there, Venus is unable to make an immediate escape as his brother's quirk is stronger than his.

A Brother's Love:

The remaining students break into the compound to save their classmates, but the timing couldn't be worse as the place is immediately flooded with agents. Unbeknownst to Icarus, Venus has had a tracker implanted in him for years. Ever since he was thirteen, Chariot has been sending him on secret missions behind Madame Rouge's back and thus had Venus carry a tracker inside of him to prevent him from ever going rogue.

The students are able to rescue Suzuno, Aria, and Bloodhound, but are caught up in the chaos involving Icarus, Venus, Delphi, Chariot, Akira, Ace, Aura, and Reaper. They're able to get the injured students out, but the rest bare witness as Icarus and Delphi are taken down with the combined minds of Chariot, Reaper, and Akira, but not without injury. Akira is now blind, Reaper's arms severed, and Chariot paralyzed from the waist down. Just before Aura can deliver the killing blow and finally get revenge, Venus intervenes and shouts for both Icarus and Delphi to escape. They do and Venus is immediately restrained. He goes without a fight and when Chariot asks him why he did so when everyone was sure he'd be on their side, Venus tells him that he knows what his brother did was wrong but he also loves his brother. Aura, Shuichi, and Naoya are at least able to understand this. Venus is taken into custody and the students are taken back the Headquarters.

[TIME SKIP/EPILOGUE]

The hero students are returned and classes are wrapping up for the year as the winter snow seeps in. Venus has not returned and what happened to him afterwards remains classified. Hiroyuki is also absent from class. New teachers replace Madame Rouge and Delphi but the awkward tension remains. Nonetheless, this incident has driven all of them to work harder.

Now on winter break:

Jai is at home playing a computer game and spending the holidays with her family.

Aria is setting boundaries with her mother and trying to patch up their relationship little by little.

Akia is at a hero agency holiday function with her father, one similar to the party she was at when she was first recruited.

Suzuno overlooks the bustling staff at the mansion preparing for his father's huge ritzy holiday party complete with a mountain of gifts.

Hiroyuki has left the Agency and is enrolled in a normal high school as he finally tries to move on, become more independent, and become his own person. He realizes if he stays with the Agency and continues to surround himself with violence, he will never be able to grow. Despite this, he receives a gift and an apology letter from Chariot.

Ichiro is back with his parents. Though they don't celebrate the holidays, they all have a rare mission reprieve together and he accepts that this is the way it will always be.

Yagi is spending the holidays with Reaper as the Vice President recovers and is sharing sweets with Hana.

Shuichi visits his brother in prison on Christmas

Ritsuo is with his family who are still unaware of how he spends his school year, not that he minds.

Ace and Black Echo spend the holidays together.

A blinded Akira is seen at his wife and daughter's graves.

A red rose is left at Madame Rouge's unmarked grave.

Naoya and Aura watch from afar as Venus exits a schoolyard gate surrounded by friends. He has short hair now and carries a gym bag across his shoulders. It's revealed that the Agency had Naoya wipe Venus's memories and implant new ones of an average life. While the Agency debated killing him outright, with Icarus still around, they want to keep Venus around as leverage. Aura tells him that Venus will be studying ballet overseas in America next year now that he will be in college. As they turn to leave, Naoya lingers a second longer and he and Venus make eye contact.

Venus, all packed up and dropped off at the airport by his loving foster family, goes off to catch his flight. He sits next to a pretty blonde girl named Nicole (Bloodhound) who is finally heading home for good and introduces himself as a new name. They share a knowing look before boarding the plane together.


End file.
